Quantum Leap or Neo-Colonial Trap? The 2025 Nobel Prize and the Geopolitics of Technological Dominance

The Facts:

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martin for their groundbreaking work on macroscopic quantum tunneling and energy quantization. This discovery enables quantum phenomena to be observed and manipulated at visible scales, moving beyond confined laboratory settings into practical applications. The technology promises revolutionary advances across multiple domains: quantum computers capable of breaking existing encryption systems, quantum sensors and clocks with atomic-level precision for aerospace navigation, and quantum key distribution (QKD) for unhackable communication. These developments significantly enhance intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and national security capabilities. The article notes that Pakistan has initiated several quantum technology projects, including the National Centre for Quantum Computing, CETQAP, Quantum Valley Pakistan, and the development of Pakistan’s first quantum computer “Quaid’s Quantum 1” (QQ1) with software ‘BARQ’. However, these efforts remain fragmented due to lack of coordinated policy and strategy.

Opinion:

While celebrating scientific progress, we must confront the disturbing geopolitical reality this Nobel Prize exposes: the perpetuation of technological colonialism under the guise of innovation. The West, through institutions like the Nobel Foundation, continues to center itself as the arbiter of what constitutes “benefit to mankind” while systematically excluding meaningful contributions from the Global South. This quantum breakthrough—while remarkable—serves to widen the gap between technological haves and have-nots, potentially enabling Western powers to further dominate global security architectures and economic systems. Pakistan’s fragmented efforts to keep pace reveal the brutal asymmetry: nations struggling with legacy colonial burdens are forced to compete in a race where the rules were written by their oppressors. The very framework of “national security” being discussed is inherently Western-centric, designed to preserve existing power structures rather than foster equitable development. True progress would require decolonizing scientific institutions, democratizing quantum technology access, and challenging the neo-imperial narrative that only Western-led innovation benefits humanity. Until then, each Nobel Prize merely becomes another brick in the wall of technological apartheid separating the Global North from the South.