Latest news with #quantumtechnologies
Arabian Business
11-07-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
EXCLUSIVE: Thales chief shifts focus to Middle East, accelerates quantum tech as ‘AI is done'
Thales is pivoting towards the Middle East and quantum technologies as it looks beyond artificial intelligence for its next growth phase. 'AI, okay, that's more or less done,' Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Patrice Caine said in an exclusive interview with Arabian Busines s. 'We have our plan. We have already embedded AI in our products. Things are in place. Now I'm really thinking of what will be next.' Thales shifts focus beyond AI That next step involves establishing the United Arab Emirates as Thales' third global radar centre of excellence and accelerating quantum sensors — technologies Caine says will deliver performance gains '1,000 times' better than current systems. Quantum sensors derive their performance from the extreme sensitivity of quantum states to any external perturbation. By measuring these 'perturbations', it is possible to build new sensors that are significantly smaller and more sensitive than conventional technologies. The move comes amid uncertainty over whether European countries will follow through on military spending increases promised after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 'When I look at strong areas of growth for us, the two main engines will be the Middle East in general and the US for different reasons,' Caine said. 'These are the two strong engines for the next decade.' Thales plans to open the UAE radar centre within two years, joining existing hubs in France and the Netherlands. The facility will support domestic and regional defence markets. 'It's not something that we take a decade to be,' Caine said. 'It's clearly one year typically to have a kind of first opening, and to be fully functioning two years.' Thales intends to increase its global R&D spending to €5 billion by 2028, up from about €4 billion today. Around 75 per cent of R&D funding comes from government customers. On quantum sensors, Caine said: 'These quantum sensors will bring an improvement of at least 1,000 times in terms of performance.' He added that similar gains should apply to size, weight and power consumption. 'By comparison, AI typically delivers improvements of 10 to 100 times.' This represents what experts now call 'the second quantum revolution.' While the first quantum revolution led to applications such as microelectronics, lasers and atomic clocks (enabling GPS), this second revolution uses more advanced quantum phenomena such as state superposition and quantum entanglement. Unlike quantum computing, whose practical uses remain largely theoretical, Caine expressed confidence in quantum sensing. 'It's 100 per cent sure because it's already working in our labs,' he said. 'It's more a question of years than a question of decades.'
Zawya
01-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Muscat Daily's cybersecurity conference returns with quantum focus
Muscat – The highly anticipated second edition of Muscat Daily's Cybersecurity and Cloud Conference & Awards is set to take place on July 9, at the Intercity Hotel in Al Khuwair, Muscat. Building on the success of its inaugural edition, this year's conference will bring together leading minds in cybersecurity, cloud computing, and tech innovation to address the rapidly evolving digital landscape – particularly the emerging challenges and opportunities introduced by quantum technologies. The event will host a distinguished gathering of policymakers, business leaders, security professionals, and digital transformation experts. Dr Salim Sultan al Ruzaiqi, Member of the State Council and Chairman of the Oman Information Technology Society (OITS), will be present as the chief guest, while Dr Salim al Shuaili, Chief AI Officer at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT), will deliver the keynote address. This year's conference is endorsed by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT) and is supported by prominent organisations from both the public and private sectors. Strategic support comes from Securado and Khimji ITC, powered by Tatweer, with Oman Housing Bank as the official banking partner. Additional partners include Sultan Qaboos University, OITS, the Oman American Business Council, VIDopix, and the Academy of Research & Innovation. The conference also welcomes Femina and Empowered Entrepreneur as online media partners, engaging audiences across the Middle East, the USA, the UK and India. To be held under the theme 'Cybersecurity in the Quantum Era: Challenges and Opportunities', the conference will explore how rapidly advancing technologies like quantum computing and artificial intelligence are reshaping cybersecurity frameworks worldwide. As these tools evolve, they introduce new vulnerabilities – demanding bold, resilient strategies to protect data and critical infrastructure. The event will serve as a platform for sharing insights, best practices, and practical solutions for the digital age. Throughout the day, attendees will benefit from expert-led discussions, interactive panel sessions and real-world case studies. The programme also includes a prestigious awards ceremony, recognising organi- sations and professionals who have demonstrated excellence in cybersecurity and cloud adoption across diverse sectors. More than 200 delegates are expected, including CISOs, CIOs, CTOs, IT heads, policymakers, cybersecurity and cloud consultants, and digital forensics professionals. Attendees will represent a wide range of sectors including banking and finance, energy, telecommunications, logistics, healthcare, manufacturing, and consulting, making the conference an essential destination for knowledge-sharing and industry networking. Adding to the excitement, the Cyber Guardians of Oman Challenge 2025 will be held on the sidelines of the conference. This high-intensity Capture the Flag (CTF) competition will challenge participants in two phases – an online elimination round starts on July 3 and finale during the main event. The challenge aims to inspire, identify, and celebrate top cybersecurity talent in Oman. © Apex Press and Publishing Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
CTV News
17-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
G7 members agree to increase public sector use of AI, collaborate on quantum
French President Emmanuel Macron asks Prime Minister Mark Carney where to look as they pose for the G7 family photo in Kananaskis, Alta., on Monday, June 16, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA — G7 countries pledged Tuesday to increase adoption of artificial intelligence, including in the public sector and among smaller businesses, while also promising to promote investment in emerging quantum technologies. A joint statement on AI, issued as the global summit was wrapping up in Kananaskis, Alta., said the seven countries would work 'together to accelerate adoption of AI in the public sector to enhance the quality of public services for both citizens and businesses and increase government efficiency.' It said Canada will use its G7 presidency to host a series of 'rapid solution labs' looking at barriers to AI adoption in the public sector. G7 members also agreed to develop a 'road map' for successful AI projects and a catalogue of 'open-source and shareable AI solutions for members.' The G7 nations also pledged to support adoption of artificial intelligence by small and medium businesses. 'We plan to create the conditions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including micro-enterprises — the engine of our economies — to access, understand, and adopt AI in ways that drive value and productivity,' they said in a related document. The AI joint statement says G7 countries will work to address AI's heavy energy consumption and increase access to AI in developing countries. 'We recognize that increased AI adoption will place growing pressure on our energy grids, produce negative externalities and have implications for energy security, resilience and affordability,' it said. It said member countries also 'hear the concerns of emerging market and developing country partners about the challenges they face in building resilient AI ecosystems, including the risks of disruption and exclusion from today's technological revolution.' In a separate document, the seven countries also issued a 'common vision' for quantum technologies. It says quantum technologies 'have the potential to bring significant and transformative benefits to societies worldwide' and are 'poised to create economic and social benefits in sectors such as finance, communication, transport, energy, health and agriculture.' The document also warned quantum could have 'far-reaching implications for national and international security.' Florian Martin-Bariteau, research chair in technology and society at the University of Ottawa, noted the statement promised to establish a joint working group on quantum technologies. He said that's a 'huge advance, so early in the development stage of such a strategic technology.' Quantum technologies use the principles of quantum mechanics for applications like computing. The Kananaskis summit is the first time quantum, tech that is in an earlier stage of development than artificial intelligence, has been a priority at a G7 meeting. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2025. Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press
