Quantum Computing Is Now a National Strategy Issue

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Today's topic is this: why the United States reached for an executive order on quantum technology, and where Korea stands in this shift 🌐

📌 Quick summary of today's issue

• The US signed Executive Order 14413 on June 22, a national strategy covering Department of Energy quantum deployment, Department of Defense quantum sensors, supply chains, and workforce development
• Market forecasts point to a market worth up to 250 billion dollars across pharmaceuticals, finance, logistics, and materials science, growing to 5 to 15 billion dollars a year by 2035
• Big tech players including Google, IBM, Microsoft, and NVIDIA, which unveiled its quantum focused "Ising" AI model in April, are racing for leadership
• Korea announced "Quantum Korea 2026," though the domestic response still lags behind a full national strategy

Last month, we covered how research breakthroughs at Harvard and Stanford were pulling forward the timeline for practical quantum computing. In June, an entirely different kind of news broke, this time not from a lab but from the White House. It is a signal that the competition around quantum technology is shifting from "who builds it first" to "which country commits national resources first."

🔍 What happened

The United States places its bet: Executive Order 14413

On June 22, the US signed Executive Order 14413, titled "Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation." It covers four key areas: the QC-ADDS (Quantum Computer for Application Development and Discovery Science) project to deploy scientifically useful quantum computers at Department of Energy facilities, a Department of Defense push for at least three next generation quantum sensor projects by September 2028, a Commerce Department led analysis of the domestic quantum supply chain and removal of manufacturing barriers, and a national strategy for recruiting and retaining quantum talent along with a network of national quantum workforce development institutions.

The context behind the order is worth noting too. It explicitly cites concern that "other nations are rapidly challenging US leadership." This is the first major commercialization push since the Quantum Initiative Act of 2018, and it treats the entire industry as a strategic national asset rather than simply funding research.

The number the market is watching: 250 billion dollars

Market forecasts released around the same time reinforce this trend. Analysts project a market worth up to 250 billion dollars across pharmaceuticals, finance, logistics, and materials science. The current quantum computing market is still under a billion dollars a year, but it is expected to grow to 5 to 15 billion dollars annually by 2035. Big tech companies including Alphabet (Google), IBM, and Microsoft are leading this race, and NVIDIA added a new dimension in April by unveiling its quantum focused AI model, "Ising." IBM, meanwhile, continues supporting both academia and industry through a multi-generational development plan spanning 20 to 30 years.

🇰🇷 Korea's temperature gap: Quantum Korea 2026

Korea has not been standing still either. On June 9, the country's largest quantum technology event, "Quantum Korea 2026," was announced ahead of its July opening. But compared to the US executive order, which spans the Department of Energy, Department of Defense, and Commerce Department as a whole of government strategy, domestic momentum in Korea still looks closer to an event and awareness stage. If last month's Quantum Technology Industry Act (mandating quantum security frameworks for public institutions) laid the legal groundwork, the US case offers a reference model for what comes after passing the law.

🧭 Why this matters now

Quantum competition is no longer just corporate competition

Until now, quantum competition has largely been framed as a technology race between big tech companies and startups. The US executive order moves this competition into the realm of national security and industrial policy. Having the Commerce Department directly analyze supply chains and managing workforce development through a national institutional network means quantum technology is now being treated like semiconductors or batteries, a strategic industry that cannot be allowed to fall behind.

Whoever locks in standards and supply chains first gains the advantage

Quantum technology standardization is still in progress, so a country that secures investment and infrastructure early is likely to hold an advantageous position when standards are eventually set. If NIST's PQC standards (FIPS 203, 204, and 205), which we covered last month, are an example of the US already gaining a head start in cryptography, this executive order looks like an attempt to build the same dynamic in quantum hardware and supply chains.

For businesses, national policy is becoming a risk variable

As national level competition intensifies, businesses need to consider not just when to adopt a technology but also whose country's supply chain and standards they will be following. We are approaching a point where a single country's export controls or supply chain policy shifts could directly affect quantum adoption plans.

✅ Four things to check from a quantum strategy perspective

• Have you listed the quantum technologies and services your organization uses or is evaluating, and noted which country's and which company's supply chain each one depends on
• Have you reconfirmed with legal and compliance whether your organization falls under the mandatory quantum security framework requirement in Korea's Quantum Technology Industry Act
• Are your PQC migration roadmap and quantum hardware adoption plan managed under the same document and the same owner, or are separate teams running them independently
• Is there a designated person or alert system to regularly monitor quantum-related national policy shifts, such as the US's EO 14413, including export controls and standards changes

⚠️ What teams often miss

The illusion that this is "still far away"

Macro level news like executive orders and national strategies can feel distant to practitioners on the ground. But supply chain realignment and standards competition are not stories for a few years from now, they are already in motion. The longer adoption decisions are delayed, the fewer options remain later.

Treating technology competition and policy competition separately

Many organizations treat quantum technology purely as a technical decision. But in a phase where governments are directly intervening, it is far safer to have the same team handle both technology review and policy monitoring rather than keeping them separate.

"Falling behind in the quantum race does not mean adopting technology late. It means not having a seat at the table when standards are set." — Basestone Quantum Security Lab

🚀 How to start small

Start by writing a single line summary of which country and company's supply chain each quantum related technology your organization currently uses or is evaluating depends on. Even this one list will make it much easier to picture how national level policy shifts could affect your organization.

If you want to review this month's domestic and international security incidents as well, continue with A Roundup of June 2026's TVING Breach and Ransomware Incidents.