Abstract

Quantum science and technology are widely framed as transformative yet remain socially distant, shaped by imaginaries that emphasize mystery, disruption, and geopolitical competition. While publics often regard quantum technologies as important but disconnected from everyday life, expert discourses—particularly in policy and funding contexts—foreground narratives of breakthroughs and global rivalry. This project investigates how such sociotechnical imaginaries shape the development, governance, and societal reception of quantum science and technology across domains including computing, sensing, and communication. Drawing on science and technology studies and agential realism, the project conceptualizes imaginaries not merely as representations but as epistemic and ethical agents that actively participate in shaping quantum futures.

The project addresses two research questions: (1) which dominant and competing quantum imaginaries can be identified across scientific, public, commercial, and military contexts, and how they influence innovation and governance; and (2) how new, more inclusive imaginaries can be co-designed and communicated to render quantum technologies more relatable while enabling critical debate on their social, ethical, and political implications. Methodologically, the project combines collaborative research workshops with public deliberative forums in Aarhus, Leiden, and Rome, integrating qualitative analysis, participatory design, and game-based engagement tools. By linking empirical analysis with co-creation and public deliberation, the project advances science communication research and contributes practical frameworks for responsible and socially accountable quantum governance.

Research Group

• Julia Cramer, Leiden University
• Esben Rohan Christensen, Accademia di Danimarca, Rome
• Karen Barad, AUFF Visiting Fellow at ARTS, Aarhus University
• Johanna Seibt, Philosophy, ARTS, Aarhus University
• Shaeema Zaman, Science Melting Pot
• Andreas Roepstorff, Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies (AIAS)