Italian Competition Authority Launches Quantum Computing Market Investigation

AGCM Competition Press Releases

Published March 17th, 2026

Detected March 17th, 2026

Summary

The Italian Competition Authority has launched a market investigation and a call for inputs into the Quantum Computing sector. The investigation aims to examine potential competition concerns, including barriers to entry and lock-in risks, in this rapidly developing field.

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What changed

The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) has initiated a market investigation and a public consultation concerning the Quantum Computing (QC) sector. This action is driven by potential competition concerns arising from rapid technological advancements, significant entry barriers, lock-in risks, and the potential for technological pre-emption. The investigation also considers parallels with issues observed in the widespread adoption of Artificial Intelligence.

Stakeholders are invited to submit feedback on the outlined issues by April 30, 2026. This consultation is crucial for entities operating or planning to operate within the QC ecosystem in Italy, as the findings could inform future regulatory actions or policy guidance. Compliance officers should ensure relevant teams are aware of the consultation deadline and consider contributing to the feedback process.

What to do next

Review the AGCM's decision opening the market investigation.
Prepare and submit feedback on potential competition concerns in the Quantum Computing sector by April 30, 2026.
Assess internal operations and market position in light of potential competition issues identified by the AGCM.

Source document (simplified)

IC59 - The Italian Competition Authority launches market investigation and call for inputs into Quantum Computing

PRESS RELEASE

QC technologies are expanding rapidly, with significant growth expected in the coming years. The Authority aims to examine a number of possible competition concerns in the sector.

The Italian Competition Authority has launched a market investigation into the Quantum Computing (“QC”) sector, an emerging computing technology with the potential to transform how complex problems are addressed compared to current computing standards, with applications already developing in cybersecurity, biotechnology, materials design, production process optimisation and fintech.

QC technologies are expanding rapidly, with strong growth expected in the coming years, in a field where the boundaries between hardware and software – both at the level of production and distribution – are far less clearly defined than in traditional computing. The sector features both global big tech companies providing cloud-based services – potentially including QC – and small to medium-sized players, often still start-ups, focused on developing specialised technologies and services.

Against this backdrop of rapid development, the Authority aims to examine a number of possible competition concerns, also in light of issues observed with the widespread adoption of AI. These include significant economic, technological and knowledge-related barriers to entry, lock-in risks and, more broadly, the potential for technological pre-emption across an entire strategic sector, especially given the current rapid pace of patent filings.

Overall, the market investigation aims to provide a timely overview of potential risks and issues, given the significant investments and expectations surrounding the sector both at national level and across the European Union.

Alongside the inquiry, the Authority has also launched a public consultation (Call for inputs) on the issues outlined in the decision opening the market investigation. Stakeholders may submit their feedback – in Italian or in English – no later than 30 April 2026 at the following e-mail address: [email protected].

Rome, 17 March 2026

Text of the decision