Reframe the application gap
We examine why concrete quantum applications remain difficult to articulate and how futures-oriented methods can unlock more productive discussion.
A room worth choosing in a busy parallel-session day
Connecting the Dots Technology, People, and Society in the Quantum Era
This workshop creates a focused space to participate in shaping how quantum futures are discussed: not only what applications may emerge, but what conditions, needs, expectations, and concerns make those futures meaningful. We bring together future design, public engagement, and technical perspectives to make that conversation collective.
At a Glance
Workshop at QCNC 2026
Why This Session
More than a talk, a working room
- Hear a keynote that frames quantum futures through future design and public engagement.
- Respond to examples, surface your own assumptions, and compare perspectives with others in the room.
- Help shape how use cases, enabling conditions, and concerns around quantum technology are discussed.
3h
Compact workshop
40min
Invited framing
Live reflection
Participant input throughout
55m
Structured discussion
Why Attend
A distinctive workshop for people who want quantum to connect with society
Instead of asking only what quantum technologies can technically do, this workshop asks how quantum applications become discussable, meaningful, and socially grounded in the first place.
Bridge technology and public imagination
The session connects technical research with questions of engagement, governance, and societal adoption rather than treating them as separate tracks.
Leave with sharper ideas
Participants do not only listen. They co-create scenarios, disruptive ideas, and future use cases that can travel back into research and design practice.
Workshop Abstract
The core premise of the session
This is the central framing text of the workshop, retained here so visitors can quickly understand the research and discussion agenda behind the design.
Context
Quantum technologies are expected to bring about a paradigm shift from the classical technology era to a new era. However, the future shape of quantum-enabled societies remains obscure, highlighting the difficulty of forecasting long-term technological and social change. This workshop brings together individuals interested in exploring futures shaped by quantum technologies.
Workshop approach
The workshop begins with sharing insights from SF-prototyping workshops conducted by the organizers, exploring visions of 2040. These results illustrate how design approaches can connect quantum technological innovation with social imagination. In the latter part, participants will engage in a group work session to collaboratively envision disruptive ideas and future use cases.
Program
How the workshop unfolds
Rather than a dense agenda, the session is designed as a participant journey: framing the challenge, learning the method, reacting to examples, and building shared discussion around quantum futures.
5 min
Opening the room
We set the purpose of the workshop: not only explaining quantum technology, but making participants' imagined use cases, needs, and concerns visible.
40 min
Invited framing
The invited talk establishes the future-design and public-engagement lens for discussing quantum technologies.
30 min
Learning the method
We introduce quantum use cases and SF prototyping as a way to backcast the technical, institutional, and social conditions needed for future adoption.
30 min
Reacting to examples
Participants respond to example use cases and reflect on promise, hype, enabling conditions, and concerns through live prompts.
55 min
From individual reactions to shared discussion
We move from personal reflection to peer exchange and structured discussion on use cases, gaps, risks, and the lenses of Hype, Imaginary lock-in, and Infrastructure.
20 min
Synthesis and takeaways
We wrap up the use cases, required conditions, gaps, and risks that emerged, then connect those insights to future discussion.
Invited Talk
Future Design for Quantum Technologies toward Effective Public Engagement
Konomi Higo (Osaka Univ.) and Yusuke Nagato (Osaka Univ.)
Abstract shown exactly as provided
As quantum technology advances toward broader societal implementation, the need for diverse stakeholders to collaborate and co-create a desirable future for quantum technology is becoming increasingly urgent. Indeed, initiatives such as outreach activities create opportunities for non-experts to engage with quantum technology, and surveys are also being conducted to gauge public awareness. However, these examples do not necessarily yield perspectives specific to designing quantum technology futures. Rather, they often merely repeat existing concerns about established technologies like AI. This presentation first outlines three issues standing in the way of effective citizen participation in quantum technology. First, when experts select information regarding societal implementation of quantum technology, the selection itself carries the risk of imposing specific suggestions on citizens' thinking and steering their perceptions in particular directions. Second, critical issues—particularly those related to excessive expectations or premature socio-technical commitments—are often difficult for non-expert citizens to grasp concretely. Third, because quantum technology has not yet become widely adopted, we may only be able to imagine its future within the limited scope and frameworks based on the development and societal implementation of existing technologies. To navigate these challenges, we propose a conceptual framework comprising three elements as analytical lenses: (1) hype—cycles of excessive expectation and subsequent disillusionment; (2) imaginary lock-in—the phenomenon whereby speculative visions of unrealized technologies constrain present-day policy and investment decisions; and (3) infrastructure—the irreversibility concerns arising when quantum systems become embedded in critical societal foundations. We propose that recognizing these three challenges and three analytical perspectives can serve as a foundation for designing more effective citizen deliberation on quantum technology futures.
Organizers
The team behind the workshop
Organized by researchers working across quantum technology, design, and societal engagement.
Keio University
Main contact; main facilitator
Keio University
Keio University
Yamanashi Prefecture University
National Institute of Informatics
Keio University
Corresponding organizer