The United Nations (UN) has officially declared that 2025 will be designated as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ). This global commemoration aims to raise awareness of the impact and significance of quantum science, while also ensuring that all nations have equal access to quantum education and opportunities. The inaugural ceremony is scheduled to take place on 14th January in Berlin.
The initiative to dedicate 2025 to quantum science has been led by the American Physical Society and the German Physical Society (DPG) since 2021. The year was specifically chosen to commemorate the centenary of Werner Heisenberg’s work in developing the mathematical formulation of quantum phenomena. The proposal received support from various societies, including the Institute of Physics and the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics.
In May 2023, the executive board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) endorsed a resolution advocating for an official UN quantum year. This was followed by an endorsement at the UNESCO general conference in November of the same year. Subsequently, Ghana submitted a draft resolution for the official proclamation of IYQ in 2025 to the UN General Assembly in May, with the support of over 70 countries. The resolution was then approved by the general assembly on 7th June.
Riche-Mike Wellington, the chief programme specialist at the Ghana Commission for UNESCO and the Ghanaian representative for IYQ, emphasized the goal of bringing quantum education and research to young people in Africa and developing countries worldwide to inspire the next generation of scientists. Throughout 2025, the IYQ consortium will organize regional, national, and international outreach events and activities to celebrate and promote the development of quantum science.
According to DPG president Klaus Richter, a condensed-matter physicist from the University of Regensburg, inventions such as magnetic resonance imaging in hospitals, lasers, solar cells, and computer chips owe their existence to quantum mechanics. Richter highlighted the significant impact of these quantum technologies on economic development and various aspects of everyday life. Quantum mechanics serves as a prime example of the practical impact that an abstract physical theory can have.
The International Year of Quantum Science and Technology builds on the success of recent science-based UN International Years, such as the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements in 2019, light and light-based technologies in 2015, and crystallography in 2014. These initiatives have played a crucial role in highlighting the importance of various scientific disciplines and their contributions to society and global development.