The Quantum Internet Research Group at the University of Naples Federico II will contribute to IEEE Quantum Week 2026 (QCE26) with a paper presentation exploring the knowledge and competences needed for the emerging Quantum Internet.
On Monday, September 14, Lorenza Criscuolo will present the paper:
“Conceptual and Applicative Knowledge in the Quantum Internet Workforce: The Role of Information Sources”
Abstract — The Quantum Internet is an emerging communication infrastructure whose physical foundations have no classical counterparts and remain poorly represented outside specialized academic channels. This paper asks whether professionals working in this field understand the technology differently depending on where they get their information. Using a structured survey of 153 professionals, including early-career academics, senior academics and industrial R&D professionals, we find a systematic gap between conceptual and applicative knowledge that is most pronounced in the industrial group, and that co-varies strongly with whether respondents include academic sources among their primary information channels. The findings suggest that what professionals know about the Quantum Internet is shaped less by their institutional role than by the information ecosystems they inhabit.
The study complements the technological focus of QNattyNet, highlighting the importance of understanding how knowledge and competences are developed within the emerging Quantum Internet workforce.
