EU – Singapore cooperation on quantum tech R&I and standardisation
22 April 2026, 10:00 – 12:00 CEST / 16:00 – 18:00 SGT
Background
The European Union (EU) and Singapore have built a close economic and digital relationship upon years of active trade and shaping new frameworks for digital cooperation. In early 2023, both sides signed the EU-Singapore Digital Partnership to agree on principles for collaboration in areas like Digital Trade, Data Flows, Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence (AI). This milestone was followed by the Digital Trade Agreement in May 2025, which complements their Free Trade Agreement and brings clear rules for how businesses and consumers can securely trade and innovate online, from cross-border Data Flows to Digital Identities (eID) and consumer protection.
These steps have set the stage for a more open, secure and reliable digital environment for both the EU and Singapore, helping each side stay competitive and resilient in the digital world.
INSTAR, acting as a facilitator of cross-border dialogue and collaboration, proposes convening a workshop that will bring together experts from both jurisdictions and build on this momentum. The workshop will address practical priorities in standards, promote bilateral exchange on shared challenges and seek real areas to grow joint initiatives, enabling continued collaboration in ICT standardisation.
For Singaporean stakeholders, meaningful involvement ensures influence over emerging international standards, alignment with EU digital markets and access to collaborative opportunities, reinforcing the competitiveness and leadership of Singapore in the global digital economy.
For European stakeholders, it will reinforce the EU values-based approach to digital governance and standardisation, supporting the advancement of a global digital transformation that is open, human-centric, trustworthy and anchored in respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, in line with the EU International Digital strategy.
Key discussion topics
The workshop will target area of quantum technologies and communications, as well as security in the post-quantum era. These topics have already been identified as of mutual interest and are expected to constitute the basis of future EU-Singapore collaboration.
Singapore is actively investing in quantum research and deployment, with a focus on secure quantum key distribution (QKD) trials and sector partnerships. The EU supports quantum technology innovation through the Quantum Flagship initiative, with cross-border pilots and harmonisation of standards for secure QKD and quantum infrastructure.
Agenda
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 CEST / 16:00 SGT | Welcome and opening remarks | Oscar Diez, Deputy Head of Unit, Quantum Technologies, DG CONNECT (Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology9, European Commission Choy Yong Cong, Director of Quantum Policy and Strategy, MDDI (Ministry for Digital Development and Information), SG |
| 10:20 CEST / 16:20 SGT | Joint R&I and quantum tech development | Marco Gramegna, Member of INSTAR - European Task Force on Quantum Technologies (Quantum-ETF), and Senior Researcher at INRiM (Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica, Turin, IT) Desmond Toa, Senior Assistant Director, National Quantum Office, SG |
| 10:50 CEST / 16:50 SGT | Standardisation in the quantum domain: concrete collaboration opportunities Domain experts and standardisation leads (from EU and Singapore) will discuss their respective existing initiatives and progress achieved in technical topics, pinpointing areas for joint endeavours. Quantum technologies and communications What steps are needed to future-proof standards and systems against quantum threats? | Moderator: Homer Papadopoulos, Leader of INSTAR Quantum-ETF, Research Director at NCSRD (National Centre of Scientific Research "Demokritos", Athens, EL) -- Johanna Sepúlveda, Member of INSTAR Quantum-ETF, Senior expert on quantum secured communications, Airbus; Lead, PETRUS QKD and PQC Standards; Chair, Interoperability Task Group, FR Andre Xuereb, Member of INSTAR Quantum-ETF, Professor, University of Malta Hannes Hübel, AIT (Austrian Institute of Technology), Head of Competence Unit, Optical Quantum Technologies, Center for Digital Safety & Security, AT Tan Swee Heng, Executive Manager, Digital Infrastructure Technologies, IMDA (Infocomm Media Development Authority), SG Kong Pei Wee, Senior Manager, Technology & Standards, IMDA, SG Sonya Chan, Deputy Director CSA (Cyber Security Agency of Singapore), SG Roddy Kok, Lead Cybersecurity Consultant, CSA Nur Iman Aris, Deputy Director, Enterprise SG Kong Pei Wee, Senior Manager, Technology & Standards, IMDA, SG |
| 11:50 CEST / 17:50 SGT | Reflections, recommendations and next steps Participants will share feedback and help steer joint actions, building on concrete opportunities for future work programmes. | Homer Papadopoulos, Leader of INSTAR Quantum-ETF, Research Director at NCSRD (National Centre of Scientific Research "Demokritos", Athens, EL) Emilio Davila Gonzalez, Head of Sector ICT Standardisation, DG CONNECT Choy Yong Cong, Director of Quantum Policy and Strategy, MDDI, SG |
| 12:00 CEST / 18:00 SGT | End of webinar |
