Quantum technologies promise to transform the frontiers of science, industry, and society—ushering in a technological revolution as profound as any before it. But as with every great technological leap, we face a crucial question: how do we ensure that this revolution benefits all, not just a privileged few?

“Democratising Quantum” is an urgent invitation to help us shape the future.

This interactive, thought-provoking forum will engage researchers, policymakers and industry professionals to confront a shared challenge.

It asks: can we steer the quantum era toward inclusivity, transparency, and the public good, rather than repeating the exclusion and inequity of past technological revolutions?

For researchers, it’s a call to examine the ethical, social, and long-term implications of work beyond the lab.

For professionals and industry leaders, it’s an opportunity to consider how quantum will shape markets, workforces, and access—and how you can build businesses that benefit all stakeholders.

For policymakers, it’s a platform to explore forward-thinking regulation and investment that ensures value for the public.

This is a chance to join a vital conversation and help to determine how our lives, rights, and futures are shaped by quantum.

Confirmed Speakers

Ilyas Khan

Ilyas Khan is the Founder, Vice Chairman, and Chief Product Officer of Quantinuum, the world’s largest quantum computing company.

Ilyas served as the founding Chairman of The Stephen Hawking Foundation. He is recognised globally as a leading figure in the quantum computing industry. As the founding Chairman of the Topos Institute, a nonprofit based in Berkeley focused on advancing technology for the public good, he is a leader in public dialogues on AI.

Mina Doosti

Mina Doosti a Chancellor's Fellow at the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh and Quantum Software Lab.

Before that, she was a senior postdoctoral researcher at the University of Edinburgh and a recipient of the QUICS Hartree Fellowship from the Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science in Maryland. She received her PhD from the University of Edinburgh under the supervision of Elham Kashefi and Myrto Arapinis. Her research area broadly covers quantum information theory, and the intersection of quantum cryptography and quantum learning theory.

Oliver Brown

Oliver is a Chancellor’s Fellow at EPCC, the supercomputing centre at the University of Edinburgh.

Oliver leads EPCC’s Quantum Group, which explores when, where and how quantum computers can be usefully integrated with classical high-performance computing. He is also a founding member of the Quantum Software Lab at the National Quantum Computing Centre. At EPCC, he has led the development of scalable emulation of quantum computers on classical high-performance computing systems.

Democratising Quantum: Ensuring Equity in the Age of Quantum Technologies