Theme: Quantum & Emerging Frontiers: Advancing Global Innovation & Technological Leadership
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dubai, UAE:
The Quantum Innovation Summit 2026 stands as a milestone in the UAE’s mission to shape the global future of quantum and emerging technologies. Building on the success of the 2025 edition, the upcoming Summit will take place in a new and significantly larger venue, with over four times the exhibition and activation space and capacity for more than 2,000 participants. This expansion reflects the Summit’s growing global relevance and the UAE’s enduring commitment to advancing technological excellence, international collaboration, and inclusive public engagement through science, innovation, and education.
Founded in 2023 by Malak Trabelsi Loeb, as part of the Vernewell Initiatives, the Quantum Innovation Summit was established to connect science, policy, and enterprise in a shared mission to accelerate innovation and adoption. Organized by Vernewell Group, a global leader in innovation strategy and deep technology ecosystems, and hosted by the UAE Cyber Security Council, the Summit continues to serve as a catalyst for strategic partnerships and a platform for the country’s growing leadership in sovereign and emerging technologies.
2025: A Year of Measurable Impact and Global Expansion
The 2025 edition, demonstrated this leadership in full measure, welcoming over 1,200 participants in person and online through a dedicated hybrid application platform that enabled seamless global engagement. Participants joined from 52 countries, reflecting a 68 percent increase in international presence and a 300 percent rise in diplomatic participation. With over 100 speakers, 60 live demonstrations across workshops, exhibitions, technology showcases, and interactive sessions, and 50 hours of curated content and strategic discussions, the Summit achieved a 400 percent increase in strategic B2B matchmaking and a 300 percent growth in digital and media reach, reaffirming Dubai’s position as a central hub for global quantum dialogue and innovation.
The 2025 edition gathered world-leading pioneers, policymakers, and deep-tech innovators, including Microsoft, IBM, D-Wave, Palo Alto Networks, IonQ, Quantlase, QuantumGate, Pasqal, ID Quantique, Quantinuum, QuantumBasel, Classiq Technologies, Q-CTRL, Capgemini, AWS Quantum, G42, Presight, Nokia, QuantWare, QuEra Computing, and Itqan. Together, these organizations represented the expanding global quantum ecosystem driving progress across computing, cryptography, AI, and cybersecurity.
At the national level, the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) played a central role in advancing sovereign quantum research, while AD Ports Group and Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy (ADMA) showcased the UAE’s leadership in maritime innovation. e&, the UAE’s leading global technology and telecommunications group, strengthened the nation’s commitment to next-generation connectivity, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, reinforcing its position as a key enabler of digital transformation and secure data ecosystems.
The Center for Quantum and Topological Systems (CQTS) at NYU Abu Dhabi, the Summit’s Academic Partner, anchored the academic and research collaboration dimension, linking scientific excellence with industrial application. The Summit also convened leading scientific and academic voices from some of the world’s foremost institutions, including the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). Among the distinguished participants was Professor Oliver Buchmueller, Professor of Physics at Imperial College London, Visiting Professor at Oxford University, and Senior Scientist at CERN, whose work bridges space science and quantum research, advancing new perspectives on fundamental physics and future computational architectures. Their participation underscored the Summit’s stature as a global platform connecting academia, research, and enterprise at the highest level.
The 2025 Summit also welcomed an official delegation from Business France, which played a pivotal role in bringing together leading French quantum startups, technology firms, and research institutions, further strengthening bilateral cooperation between France and the UAE in deep technology, AI, and quantum innovation.
In addition, the Summit engaged a wide network of innovation and community partners, including CyberE71, Women in Aviation Middle East, and other regional organizations that champion inclusivity, talent development, and quantum literacy. Collectively, these alliances positioned the Quantum Innovation Summit as a bridge between governments, researchers, and technology pioneers, solidifying the UAE’s role as a hub for scientific collaboration, business partnership, and global innovation leadership.
Abu Dhabi at the Helm of Sovereign Technology Leadership
A defining outcome of 2025 was the launch of the Quantum Maritime Conference, hosted in partnership with Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy (ADMA), part of AD Ports Group (ADX: ADPORTS), a global facilitator of trade, logistics, and industry. The conference reflected the UAE’s strategic vision to establish Abu Dhabi as the epicenter of sovereign technological capability, driving quantum and artificial intelligence integration across critical national and industrial domains.
At the helm were AD Ports Group and the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), alongside other national stakeholders including QuantumGate, Presight (a G42 company), and Quanlase, a subsidiary of International Holding Company (IHC). Together, these entities represent the UAE’s growing sovereign technology ecosystem, advancing cybersecurity, quantum sensing, photonics, and autonomous systems to strengthen national capability and industrial competitiveness. The conference also featured the participation of EDGE Group, including Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) and KATIM, which are driving innovation in defense technologies, AI-enabled cybersecurity, and autonomous platforms.
With more than 400 participants from over 30 countries, the Quantum Maritime Conference featured 40 distinguished speakers, including senior policymakers and executives from leading global quantum technology organizations such as Quantinuum, IBM, IonQ, AWS, Quantum Dice, Pasqal, Classiq, Q-CTRL, Capgemini, ID Quantique, and Quantum Brilliance. H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity for the UAE Government, and Professor Sir Konstantin Novoselov, Nobel Laureate in Physics and co-discoverer of graphene, delivered keynote addresses that examined quantum resilience, advanced materials, and the transformation of global shipping and naval operations.
The event reinforced Abu Dhabi’s position as the nucleus of the UAE’s sovereign technological leadership, a hub where science, strategy, and industry converge to shape the next generation of secure, intelligent, and sustainable maritime systems. It also underscored the UAE’s growing role as a trusted international partner in advancing quantum technologies and demonstrated how the nation is transforming research and policy into tangible industrial capability and global influence.
Building on these achievements, the Quantum Innovation Summit 2026 represents the natural evolution of the UAE’s progress in integrating quantum and artificial intelligence across strategic sectors. The success of the Quantum Maritime Conference and the partnerships it fostered demonstrated how the UAE’s sovereign capabilities can move from research and policy to deployment and adoption, setting a model for global collaboration. Guided by this momentum, the 2026 edition advances this mission under the theme “Quantum & Emerging Frontiers: Advancing Global Innovation & Technological Leadership.”
The theme reflects the convergence of quantum science with artificial intelligence, biotechnology, space systems, advanced materials, and intelligent infrastructure, an integrated framework where discovery, governance, and societal progress move in harmony. It captures the Summit’s expanded focus on translating innovation into real-world applications that enhance sustainability, security, and global competitiveness while deepening the UAE’s leadership as a global partner in the responsible development of transformative technologies.
Quantum technologies are now advancing across all sectors, from precision medicine and energy optimization to climate modeling, communications, and national security. In parallel, AI and autonomous systems are enhancing decision intelligence, defense capabilities, and industrial automation, while space-based quantum networks and sensing technologies are opening new pathways for secure communication and exploration.
The Quantum Global Festival and Global Quantum Week, both conceptualized and led by Vernewell Group, extend this vision worldwide. Through exhibitions, performances, hackathons, and collaborative activations, they transform scientific discovery into public participation. The Quantum Global Festival celebrates creativity at the intersection of art and science, while the Global Quantum Week (7–14 April 2026) will unite universities, innovators, and institutions in activities culminating in World Quantum Day (14 April 2026). Through the QLeaders Program, ambassadors and experts across continents will organize satellite events and flagship gatherings under the Festival framework, amplifying the Summit’s global footprint and inclusivity.
The Quantum Innovation Summit 2026 will also introduce the Future Foresight Labs, Moonshot Studios, and the IdeaQ Initiative, designed to empower innovators, entrepreneurs, and researchers to turn ideas into scalable technologies. These programs embody Vernewell Group’s commitment to creating an ecosystem where research, policy, and market adoption evolve together.
From Abu Dhabi’s sovereign technology leadership to Dubai’s global convening power, the UAE continues to position itself as a driving force in shaping the future of science, innovation, and strategic collaboration. The Quantum Innovation Summit 2026 represents this collective vision, connecting nations and industries while integrating science, innovation, security, governance, education, economy, and culture into a unified platform for global progress.
Statement by Malak Trabelsi Loeb, Founder of the Quantum Innovation Summit
“The Quantum Innovation Summit 2026 reflects the UAE’s vision to unite science, technology, governance, education, economy, security, and culture in a shared pursuit of human progress. Dubai stands as the gateway for global dialogue and collaboration, while Abu Dhabi represents the strength of sovereign capability, research excellence, and industrial transformation. Together, they form a model for how nations can align innovation with responsibility and foresight. Through the Quantum Global Festival, the Global Quantum Week, and the QLeaders Program, we continue to build meaningful bridges between governments, academia, industry, and communities worldwide, shaping a future defined by knowledge, creativity, and collective advancement.
Quantum Innovation Summit 2026 – The Most Influential Quantum Platform, From Dubai to the World.”
For participation and partnership opportunities, visit: www.quantuminnovationsummit.com
For media inquiries: info@vernewellgroup.com
About Vernewell Group:
Vernewell Group is a Delaware-based holding company that manages a portfolio of ventures shaping the future of quantum technology, artificial intelligence, space, and deep tech. The Group steers and supports its UAE-based companies that are dedicated to advancing innovation and accelerating the adoption of transformative technologies across the region.
The portfolio includes Vernewell Management Consultancies LLC, which leads strategic initiatives and partnerships, Vernewell Academy, the Quantum Innovation Summit, the QInnovision Consortium, and Quantum Universum Magazine. Together, these platforms foster knowledge exchange, build ecosystems, and strengthen collaboration between industry and academia.
At the center of this portfolio is the newly launched Vernex Quantum Hub at DIFC, a venture established to position the UAE as a cornerstone of the global quantum economy. The Hub serves as a bridge between enterprises, researchers, and investors, creating a platform to pilot, validate, and scale quantum solutions across industries. By fostering collaboration and accelerating deployment, Vernex Quantum Hub strengthens the UAE’s leadership in advancing quantum technologies and shaping their integration into the global innovation landscape.
Vernewell Group orchestrates the Quantum Innovation Summit from Dubai, setting the stage for a quantum revolution that began in the United Arab Emirates in 2024. Today, our summit stands as a seminal event, instrumental in defining the quantum agenda globally.
Our core is forged by an elite cadre of quantum experts and industry vanguards, united under the Vernewell banner to deliver an unparalleled summit experience. We are driven by a mission to showcase cutting-edge quantum breakthroughs, foster dynamic collaborations, and nurture an ecosystem where innovation and strategic partnerships thrive.
The Quantum Innovation Summit serves as a global nexus for engagement, education, and networking, meticulously designed to catalyze the adoption of quantum technologies across various industries. It embodies our vision to mold a future where quantum technology underpins economic transformation and societal advancement.
For more information, please visit Vernewell Group Website
