International Year of Quantum (IYQ 2025) named Organization of the Year at Quantum World Congress
Quantum World Congress (QWC) today named the International Year of Quantum (IYQ 2025) as Organization of the Year, honoring its unprecedented role in elevating quantum science and technology onto the global stage.
Declared by the United Nations General Assembly and launched under UNESCO auspices, the International Year of Quantum marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of quantum mechanics. IYQ has coordinated a worldwide mobilization of events, partnerships, and educational outreach to build public understanding of quantum technologies and their potential to reshape industries, economies, and societies.
With support from founding partner societies—including the American Physical Society (APS), German Physical Society (DPG), Optica, the Institute of Physics (IOP), the Chinese Optical Society, and SPIE—IYQ has orchestrated hundreds of events across more than 60 countries. These range from major scientific conferences to hands-on classroom programs and museum exhibits. Through these efforts, IYQ has already reached millions of students, educators, policymakers, and members of the public.
“IYQ turned a technical field into a global conversation. By uniting societies, educators, policymakers, and industry across continents, it created durable momentum for the next decade of quantum discovery and deployment. This award recognizes not only a milestone year, but also the infrastructure of collaboration it leaves behind,” said George Thomas, President and CEO, Connected DMV.
In accepting the award, Dr. Paul Cadden-Zimansky, one of the IYQ Global Coordinators, said, “IYQ would not have worked without the dozens of countries, hundreds of institutions, and thousands of people across the globe who believed in the mission of using the centennial of quantum mechanics as an occasion to improve public awareness of how central quantum is to our world.
“I think everyone who is putting in time and effort to make IYQ a reality, from individuals independently initiating their own small events to leaders who got their institutions and companies behind it, share in this award and can take it as an encouragement to continue the mission of illuminating quantum science and technology for all as we enter the next quantum century.”
Jonathan Bagger, CEO of the American Physical Society (APS), administrator of the year-long, worldwide initiative, added, "We are delighted that IYQ has been named the 2025 Organization of the Year as part of the Quantum Leadership Awards. By celebrating the contributions of quantum science to technological progress over the past century, this campaign has raised global awareness of how this vibrant research field can help address the world's most pressing challenges."
The impact of IYQ extends beyond celebration—it has catalyzed new research partnerships, helped secure billions in fresh public and private investments, and inspired the next generation of quantum scientists and engineers. By coupling global outreach with technical progress, the International Year of Quantum has transformed the way the world sees and engages with quantum science.
The Quantum Leadership Awards honor people and organizations catalyzing measurable progress in quantum science and technology across commercialization, policy, research, and workforce. Awardees are recognized at Quantum World Congress 2025 (September 16–18, Capital One Hall, Tysons, VA). Past honorees include Dr. Cathy Foley (Government), Dr. Jay Gambetta (Industry), Dr. Jungsang Kim (Academic), and Quantum Delta NL (Organization).