PARIS – One in three researchers worldwide lacks access to quantum research facilities, limiting progress in areas such as healthcare, computing, cybersecurity, and climate modelling, the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO said on Tuesday.

The report, The Quantum Moment: A Global Report, highlights sharp disparities between regions, with Europe and North America hosting seven times more quantum science events per country last year compared with Africa. It also points to a persistent gender gap, with women making up 42% of early-career participants but only 16% of senior researchers and 12% of leadership roles.

Global investment in quantum science and technology reached $55.7 billion by mid-2025, but more than 150 countries have yet to adopt national quantum strategies, UNESCO said. Equipment costs remain a barrier for two-thirds of researchers surveyed.

“The quantum revolution cannot be a story of a few countries racing ahead while the rest of the world watches,” UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany said. He urged governments, industry, and scientists to join the agency’s newly launched Global Quantum Initiative, aimed at bridging divides and ensuring equitable access.

UNESCO said practical steps are already underway, including a programme allowing researchers from the Global South to remotely access IBM’s Quantum System One in Cleveland, Ohio, for healthcare-related projects such as drug discovery and disease modelling.