Opening Address by Minister Josephine Teo at the IBM Quantum Summit APAC 2025

Distinguished guests

Quantum leaders from across the Asia Pacific

1. Good morning. Thank you for inviting me. I am delighted to join you.

2. This is IBM’s third Quantum Summit, but its first in the Asia Pacific. Your presence here speaks to the growing momentum around quantum technologies in our part of the world.

3. The theme of today’s summit, “To Quantum Advantage and Beyond”, encapsulates the sense of possibility this technology evokes. Much like artificial intelligence, quantum computing promises to reshape industries and economies. It also brings new complexities that we must carefully navigate.

4. Already, we see use cases in financial modelling, biopharmaceuticals, and energy optimisation. These developments signal a shift from theory to application.

5. While quantum computing can help solve previously intractable problems, it could also be exploited by threat actors to break the encryption that protects our most sensitive data and communications. This concern has prompted growing international action: to ensure that our systems are prepared before the risk becomes reality.

6. As governments worldwide recognise the strategic significance of quantum, we must move from reactive regulation to proactive preparation. This means building the foundations today, for technologies whose full potential we are only beginning to understand, and whose long-term implications cannot be fully predicted.

7. Around the world, momentum is growing to address these questions and build the necessary foundations.

   1. Today, more than 20 countries have launched national quantum strategies. The World Economic Forum Quantum Economy Blueprint estimated that public sector investments globally reached USD 40 billion in 2024. It is projected to exceed USD 100 billion by 2040.

   2. There is also progress in securing the post quantum era. Last August, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) finalised three quantum-resistant cryptographic standards, which is an important milestone for securing digital infrastructure.

8. In Asia, the pace has also picked up.

   1. In 2024, one in four new quantum startups globally originated from Asia.

   2. This year, Japan and India both announced significant commitments.

   3. Just yesterday, the 10th ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Cybersecurity agreed to advance regional cooperation in quantum.

9. These examples reflect a global convergence of intent, investment, and innovation.

10. However, ambition alone is not enough. Across the world, we continue to face common challenges:

    1. Talent pipelines remain narrow.

    2. Research and Development (R&D) costs are high.

    3. Infrastructure is still evolving.

11. To realise the promise of quantum, governments can play an enabling role. This means:

    1. Facilitating scientific excellence and collaboration;

    2. Building skilled and sustainable talent pipelines; and

    3. Supporting the translation of research into scalable, commercially viable solutions.

12. These are some of the reasons why Singapore committed an additional S$300 million over five years under our National Quantum Strategy. It builds on R&D efforts dating back to the early 2000s that seeded our quantum ecosystem. Today, many in the industry know that Singapore has a quantum ecosystem, which has been in the making for more than two decades. We are not starting from ground zero.

13. The time has come for the ecosystem to grow and flourish.

14. To this end, we established the National Quantum Computing Hub, which provides researchers and enterprises with access to commercial cloud quantum computing platforms. It also connects industry partners with domain experts to co-develop quantum solutions.

15. One such application is the simulation of molecular interactions to accelerate drug discovery. This could potentially lead to shorter drug development cycles, bringing life-saving treatments to patients faster while reducing healthcare costs.

16. Through our National Quantum Office, we also work closely with international partners, such as with the French National Centre for Scientific Research. This collaboration focuses on quantum energetics and photonics, which lays the groundwork for sustainable, energy-efficient quantum technologies and enhancing secure quantum communications.

17. These partnerships reflect our firm belief that quantum progress must be a shared effort, one that crosses borders and disciplines.

18. We are nurturing talent among our people so that they can excel in quantum.

19. Through the National Quantum Scholarships Scheme, we are supporting 100 PhD and another 100 Master's students by 2030. These numbers are modest when compared to some other countries, but they are significant for us.

20. In addition, we are putting in place the policies and infrastructure to help ideas move from lab to market. We are keenly aware that beyond growing supply, we need to also stimulate demand.

21. Our National Quantum-Safe Network Plus provides opportunities to validate, scale, and commercialise quantum-safe solutions for enterprise use. For example, we work with partners such as Singtel and SPTel to build interoperable quantum-safe infrastructure across Singapore, and tailor quantum-safe use cases for respective industries.

22. Just yesterday, we launched the Quantum Readiness Index and Quantum-Safe Handbook. They are practical tools, developed in close collaboration with industry, to help organisations assess risks and take steps towards quantum preparedness.

23. Let me conclude by noting that Singapore’s quantum journey began nearly two decades ago with the establishment of the Centre for Quantum Technologies. This early commitment has put us in a good position for the transition to a quantum-enabled world.

24. We believe that its future will be shaped by partnerships: between industry innovators and academic researchers, between governments and the private sector, and between nations that recognise the strategic value of working together and wanting to collaborate.

25. It is the same conviction we bring to all aspects of digital governance, where our strategies, frameworks and toolkits are a constant work-in-progress, and are designed to evolve through feedback, experience, and collaboration.

26. Likewise, we will continue to be proactive in quantum governance — to be a trusted enabler of innovation and a bridge between research and application.

27. I look forward to having Singapore work closely with all of you.

28. Thank you.