From Rare Materials to National Strategies
Quantum technology depends on a specialized, globally distributed, and often fragile supply chain — from rare helium-3 to dilution refrigerators to specialized control electronics. This course examines that supply chain and the geopolitical forces shaping it: national strategies, export controls, investment flows, and the competition over who builds and who buys quantum technology.
Who Should Take This Course
Strategy professionals, policy analysts, investors, procurement leaders, and decision-makers who need to understand the quantum technology supply chain and its geopolitical dimensions.
What You Will Learn
This course provides a rigorous, vendor-independent understanding of its subject, taught with the same evidence-based discipline applied across the Quantum Academy curriculum: what the technology does today, what it will plausibly do next, and what that means for your work.
Course Outline
Module 1 — The Quantum Supply Chain
The components and materials behind quantum technology. Dilution refrigerators and cryogenic infrastructure. Control electronics and specialized components. Rare materials: helium-3 and others. Supply chain concentration and fragility. Sole-source dependencies.
Module 2 — National Strategies and Investment
National quantum strategies and funding programs. The major players: US, China, EU, UK, and others. Public and private investment flows. The competition for quantum advantage and what is driving it.
Module 3 — Export Controls and Geopolitics
Export controls on quantum technology. Technology transfer restrictions. The geopolitics of quantum supply chains. How geopolitical tensions affect quantum technology development and access. Strategic implications for organizations and nations.
Prerequisites
None unless otherwise noted. These courses are designed to be accessible to motivated professionals without a physics background.
Certificate of Completion
Upon completion, you will receive a Quantum Academy certificate of completion.