The United Nations International Year of Quantum 2025 was never just about celebrating science. It was about deciding how a powerful new technological era should be built, governed, and shared. Claudia Fracchiolla, the Secretariat Coordinator for the IYQ joins us to debrief what was achieved and what happens next.

Join the IYQ Closing Ceremony here https://quantum2025.org/iyq-closing-ceremony-information-2/

Previous recording with Claudia https://petrasoderling.com/s4e2

Substack from UNESCO opening https://petrasoderling.substack.com/p/unesco-paris-quantum?r=1rijxn

Recording with Jesús Sánchez Herrero https://petrasoderling.com/s5e5

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The European Quantum Technologies Conference - EQTC - 2025 was buzzing! From policy and industry to startups and unicorns, Europe’s quantum ecosystem faces a high-stakes moment. Listen in for interviews, insights, and why this is the moment to hop into quantum.

Joining me on this episode are guests from across the quantum ecosystem, sharing their insights on Europe’s high-stakes moment:

• Oscar Diez, Head of Sector for Quantum Computing at European Commission
• Cecile M. Perrault, Vice President at the European Quantum Industry Consortium QuIC
• Yasser Omar, President of PQI – Portuguese Quantum Institute
• Salil Gunashekar, Deputy Director and Senior Research Leader, Science and Emerging Technology, RAND Europe
• Roman Pašek, R&D Project Conception & Management, Quantum Technology, Amires
• Samira Nik, Programme Manager for Quantum Tech and Electronics, EIC
• Jan Goetz, CEO & Co-Founder, IQM Quantum Computers
• Michael Baczyk, VC at Heartcore
• Tommi Hakulinen, Product Manager, Vexlum
• Corban Tillemann-Dick, Founder & CEO of Maybell Quantum Industries

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"Complexity is the biggest enemy of security."

Janne Uusilehto, a veteran who has led security and privacy engineering at Nokia, Microsoft, and Google, joins the podcast to peel back the curtain on the hidden world of cybersecurity standards.

He reveals why industry rivals, like the original mobile phone giants, agreed to rules that ultimately generated massive passive income to intellectual property owners, and how this collaboration actually accelerates innovation.

We discuss the emerging threats that keep security leaders up at night, including AI-driven polymorphic attacks and the risks hidden in the code supply chain. Finally, Uusilehto offers his candid take on geopolitics and tech policy, arguing that over-regulation in places like the EU risks stifling necessary innovation.

Tune in to understand why investing in people is more critical than investing in tools, and how the rules you never see are securing the digital world you live in.

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