Workshop – Call for Papers

Building Quantum Futures – Sociotechnical Visions and Their Implications

• Dates: 8–9 June 2026
• Location: Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

Background

Quantum science and technology are widely portrayed as transformative, yet they often appear socially distant and enigmatic. Public communication tends to emphasize quantum computing as “spooky” or revolutionary, while expert discourse frames quantum technologies as breakthroughs tied to global competitiveness and disruptive innovation. These imaginaries—visions of futures co-evolving with technology and social norms—shape expectations, policies, and innovation, but they can also be exclusionary, limiting participation and ethical reflection.

This workshop investigates how such sociotechnical imaginaries influence the development, governance, and societal reception of quantum technologies, and explores how more inclusive and accountable visions can be articulated.

Aims of the Workshop

The workshop will focus on understanding existing quantum imaginaries across scientific, commercial, military, and public domains. We aim to bring together scholars from STS, philosophy of science, history of science, communication studies, and related fields to examine how these imaginaries function as epistemic and ethical agents and to foster dialogue on their implications for governance and public engagement.

We welcome contributions from researchers at all career stages and particularly encourage submissions from early-career scholars.

Keynote Speakers

We are pleased to announce four keynote speakers:

• Marilù Chiofalo, University of Pisa
• Zeki Seskir, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
• Michal Krelina, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
• Fabienne Marco, Quantum Social Lab, Technical University of Munich

Call for Papers

We invite submissions of abstracts (up to 300 words) for papers addressing topics such as:

• Dominant and competing imaginaries of quantum technologies
• Historical and contemporary framings of quantum science
• Ethical, political, and societal implications of quantum futures
• Methodological approaches to studying sociotechnical imaginaries

Please submit your abstract by 15 April 2026 to Kristian H. Nielsen, Aarhus University, khn@css.au.dk.

Travel Support

Pending funding, we expect to offer travel stipends for up to 10 early-career scholars to support participation in the workshop. Stipends will primarily be awarded to researchers selected to present their work but may also support other junior scholars whose active participation contributes to the workshop’s discussions and aims. Please indicate in your abstract submission if you wish to be considered for a travel stipend.

Interdisciplinary and International Collaboration

The workshop is co-organized by Kristian H. Nielsen, Head of the Centre for Science Studies, Aarhus University, Julia Cramer, Head of the Quantum and Society Group at Leiden University, and Esben Rohan Christensen, currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Danish Academy for Science and Art in Rome, where he is working on a project on the physics and philosophy of quantum technologies. The workshop is part of the project Quantum Futures in the Making: Sociotechnical Imaginaries and Public Engagement, which is embedded within the Quantum Campus Aarhus, Aarhus University.

Funding

The workshop is funded by the Aarhus University Research Foundation.