First Swiss–Polish Quantum Day brings the two quantum ecosystems together in Gdańsk

Shaping the future. Entangled.

Around 60 representatives of the Swiss and Polish quantum communities gathered in Gdańsk on 10 September 2026 for the first Swiss–Polish Quantum Day – a new forum dedicated to strengthening cooperation between the two countries in quantum science and technologies.

The event was organised in collaboration between the Embassy of Switzerland in Poland, the International Centre for Theory of Quantum Technologies (ICTQT) and the National Quantum Information Centre (KCIK), alongside the Q-Con Quantum Conference. It brought together representatives of academia, business, startups, public institutions and organisations supporting the development of quantum technologies.

The Swiss–Polish Quantum Day was opened by Prof. Marek Żukowski, Director of ICTQT, and Prof. Marcin Marciniak, Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics at the University of Gdańsk, followed by welcoming remarks from Luca Laloli, Head of Economic, Financial, Scientific and EU Affairs at the Embassy of Switzerland in Poland.

Two quantum ecosystems – common opportunities

The first part of the programme provided participants with an overview of the quantum technology landscapes in both countries.

Andreas Masuhr, Head of the Swiss Quantum Initiative at the Swiss Academy of Sciences, presented the Swiss quantum ecosystem, while Teodor Buchner from Warsaw University of Technology and Klaster Q – the Quantum Technologies Cluster provided an overview of the Polish landscape. Together, the presentations established a starting point for discussing where the two ecosystems are complementary and where closer cooperation could bring the greatest value.

The programme then moved from presentations to direct discussion. Participants worked in four parallel roundtables addressing some of the most important challenges facing emerging quantum ecosystems: building a functioning ecosystem, moving R&D from laboratories to industry, developing national platforms and infrastructure, and ensuring trust, resilience and responsible innovation.

The discussions were hosted by Ana Belén Sainz (ICTQT, University of Gdańsk), Jakub Jasiczak (Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center), Kilian Wasmer (armasuisse) and Justyna Pelc (ResQuant).

From discussion to cooperation

The day concluded with a panel moderated by Paweł Gora (Quantum AI) and featuring Adam Gontarz (Swissmem), Hugo Lehmann (METAS), Rafał Duczmal (NCBR / EuroHPC JU) and Magdalena Stobińska-Moretto (University of Warsaw, QLAB).

The conversation focused on practical opportunities for Swiss–Polish collaboration, including cooperation between academia and business, existing good practices, national quantum strategies, formats for international cooperation and, importantly, mechanisms that are still missing. Participants also discussed how the strengths of the Swiss and Polish ecosystems could complement one another.

The event was coordinated on the Polish side with the support of Paweł Gora, whose involvement helped bring together representatives from different parts of the Polish quantum ecosystem.

The discussions were complemented by a business lunch at Olivia Star, supported by InvestGDA, during which Piotr Grzelak, Deputy Mayor of Gdańsk, addressed the participants. The meeting provided another opportunity to discuss the role of Gdańsk and the wider Pomeranian region in developing international cooperation around emerging technologies.

Quantum diplomacy before Quantum Day

The bilateral discussions were part of a broader series of Swiss–Polish quantum activities organised around Q-Con.

The programme began with the GESDA Quantum Diplomacy Game, which offered participants a different perspective on the development of quantum technologies. Rather than focusing solely on scientific or commercial opportunities, the simulation explored possible future challenges related to the governance of emerging technologies and the decisions that governments, researchers, businesses and international organisations may need to face.

This global perspective provided a natural introduction to the Swiss–Polish Quantum Day, where the focus shifted towards concrete bilateral cooperation. Swiss experts subsequently also contributed to the wider Q-Con programme, sharing their experience in areas ranging from national quantum strategies to quantum security, commercialisation and scaling.

Together, the activities demonstrated that building a successful quantum ecosystem requires more than scientific excellence alone. It also depends on international partnerships, effective connections between research and industry, appropriate infrastructure, responsible governance and long-term dialogue between different stakeholders.

Building connections for the future

The first Swiss–Polish Quantum Day was intended not as a conclusion, but as a starting point for stronger connections between the two countries’ quantum communities.

ICTQT and KCIK would like to thank the Embassy of Switzerland in Poland, particularly Luca Laloli, for the close cooperation in preparing the initiative, as well as Kainos and Patryk Jar for their contribution to the organisation of the event. Special thanks also go to Paweł Gora for coordination and support on the Polish side and to InvestGDA for supporting the business lunch.

We also thank Andreas Masuhr and Teodor Buchner for introducing the Swiss and Polish quantum ecosystems, as well as all speakers, panelists, roundtable hosts and participants whose contributions made the first Swiss–Polish Quantum Day a genuine exchange of ideas rather than simply a series of presentations.

With around 60 participants representing different parts of the two ecosystems, the meeting demonstrated both the interest in closer Swiss–Polish cooperation and the range of areas in which such collaboration can develop – from fundamental research and education to infrastructure, commercialisation, security and public policy.

Shaping the future. Entangled.