Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE
New White Paper Shows How Quantum Computing, AI, and Blockchain Could Shape the Next Decade of Technology
How will quantum technologies transform digital development in the coming years? And what new opportunities will arise when they interact with artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies? These questions are addressed in the White Paper “Quantum Nexus: Synergies Between Quantum Technologies and Key Technologies of the Next Decade” by the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing, and Ergonomics FKIE. It highlights that the future is shaped in particular by the interaction of these technologies. The publication is now available for download.
Quantum technologies are increasingly becoming the focus of innovation and high-tech strategies worldwide. In Germany, too, they are among the six key technologies of the High-Tech Agenda (HTAD), which the federal government adopted on July 30, 2025. Against this backdrop, the Fraunhofer FKIE analyzes in its White Paper how the interplay of quantum, AI, and blockchain technologies can generate new systemic synergies. The focus here is on a perspective that has received too little attention in many previous analyses of technology: the mutual influence of these strategically important technologies on their development, impact, and long-term significance.
“Technological developments such as quantum computing and AI are no longer distant visions of the future; rather, they are already increasingly intertwined today, thereby forming fundamental building blocks of tomorrow’s strategic value creation", emphasizes Prof. Dr. René Bantes, head of the “Innovation Research and Technology Foresight” (INT) department at Fraunhofer FKIE. “Anyone who views this technological convergence in isolation or ignores it, risks missing out on fundamental opportunities for competitiveness, sustainability as well as technological sovereignty. In this regard, our White Paper offers sound guidance to decision-makers from business, politics, and research”.
The analysis highlights the potential arising from the interplay of these three key technologies – for example, in terms of faster innovation, greater operational efficiency, enhanced security, and new digital value creation models. These developments are illustrated using key application areas such as Industry 4.0 and robotics, sustainability, energy and climate systems, financial systems, and space technologies. These areas are characterized by highly interconnected, real-time-critical systems, complex optimization problems, cross-organizational data flows, and high security requirements. This is precisely why they rank among the most promising application areas for advanced digital and quantum technology solutions.
Download the White Paper for free now (German version only)
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