Barnes & Thornburg partnered with the Chicago Quantum Exchange to develop The Quantum Law Navigator: a practical framework that translates complex legal and policy considerations for quantum technologies into clear, actionable guidance for researchers, startups, established companies, investors, and policymakers. Quantum technologies promise transformative advances across industries, yet the legal frameworks guiding their development have not kept pace. Understanding and addressing these gaps is essential for enabling innovation and sustaining U.S. leadership in the decades ahead. We created the Navigator resource to help stakeholders navigate the quantum industry’s complex legal landscape and make practical, informed decisions. The Navigator was a collaborative endeavor: our attorneys interpreted the implications of evolving regulations, while quantum scientists and technologists identified the practical challenges they encounter in the lab, in the marketplace, and in global collaboration. The result is a resource that both maps the landscape and serves as a starting point for dialogue, helping to ensure that innovation can proceed responsibly and efficiently.

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Read The Quantum Law Navigator

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Contributors

Navigating U.S. Policies, Laws, and Regulations to Advance the Quantum Economy

“The Quantum Law Navigator addresses a critical gap between technological innovation and legal governance in one of the most transformative fields of the 21st century. By mapping the relevant legal frameworks, quantum stakeholders can better understand how policies, laws, and regulations interact rather than collide, and where compliance and opportunity align.”

- Robert Karr, Co-Chair of Barnes & Thornburg’s Quantum Technology Industry Group

What’s Inside The Quantum Law Navigator

Intended for a broad readership across the quantum ecosystem, The Quantum Law Navigator offers a practical introduction to how legal considerations influence quantum research, development, and commercialization. Quantum technologies touch areas of law ranging from export controls and intellectual property to workforce mobility and supply chain security. These regulations influence:

Stakeholder collaboration across locations Cross-border research and components Access to public funding and private capital Protection and transfer of knowledge and IP

This resource is organized into two parts:

Part I — Policy and Economic Context

A concise overview of how U.S. law and policy intersect with four priority areas for quantum advancement:

National security and innovation Funding throughout the technology lifecycle Workforce development and mobility Supply chain resilience

This section creates shared context for discussions among scientists, legal counsel, policymakers, and business leaders.

Part II — Legal Topics and Considerations

A guide to eight key areas that quantum stakeholders regularly encounter:

Each chapter highlights why the topic matters, outlines requirements and common challenges, and notes emerging developments.

Intellectual property protection and strategy Export control compliance Foreign investment review Trade policies and tariffs

Immigration and global talent mobility Federal and state funding requirements Venture capital and early-stage financing Financial risk and operational continuity

“Without a common language among quantum technologists, the business community, lawyers, and lawmakers, we risk losing innovators to the layers of law and regulation that grow from our sector’s scientific complexity, uncertain timelines, and relevance to national security. This is an important step forward as we accelerate the transitions of scientific discovery to technology and work collaboratively to create a competitive industry.”

- Dr. David Awschalom, CQE Director, University of Chicago’s Liew Family Professor of Molecular Engineering and Physics and senior scientist at Argonne National Laboratory

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