Matteo G. A. Paris is a prominent physicist and full professor at the University of Milano (Università degli Studi di Milano) in Italy. He specializes in quantum information and quantum optics within the university's department of physics, where he founded and (http://sites.unimi.it/aqm), composed by about fifteen persons. His academic focus lies in theoretical physics, particularly in the area of matter models, mathematical methods, and applications. Professor Paris completed his Ph.D. in physics at the University of Pavia, and then was a post-doc in the group "Nichtklassiche Strahlung" of the Max- Planck-Society (Berlin). Before joining UniMi in 2004, he was research fellow of the University of Pavia and research associate of the National Institute for the Physics of Matter (INFM). He is a theoretician working in close collaborations with experimentalists on quantum information & technology, quantum optics, open quantum systems and foundations of quantum mechanics. In these fields he is author of 350+ publications on international journals, which received 21000+ citations, with about 70 invited talks and seminars; his H-index is currently 71 (Google schoolar). His main contributions are in the fields of quantum estimation of states and operations, generation and application of quantum correlations, quantum information processing, quantum walks and algorithms, open quantum systems, quantum metrology and high-precision measurements. In the recent years, he is mostly working in quantum sensing and metrology, continuous variable quantum technology, and quantum walks. He is also active in seeking for novel degrees of freedom for quantum technology, and to improve metrological protocols in the search of new physics.

Ahmed Younes is Professor of Computer Science (Quantum Computing) at Alexandria University, where he founded and leads the Alexandria Quantum Computing Group and manages the Center of Excellence for Quantum Computers. He serves as Egypt's representative for World Quantum Day and the Arab States' representative on the UNESCO-endorsed IYQ2025 Steering Committee. He obtained his PhD from the University of Birmingham in 2004, where he introduced the 'Partial Diffusion Operator' technique in quantum search algorithms and made contributions to Quantum Boolean circuits, with research spanning quantum algorithms, cryptography, and reversible circuits.

Prof. Marco Genovese In the last 25 years, he grew up a group addressing the development of new measurement methods and techniques exploiting the peculiar properties of quantum states, which is now recognised at the world level and is one of the most important in European Union. In particular, his group gave fundamental contributions to the birth of quantum metrology & sensing discipline, to the foundations of quantum mechanics and to the creation of a metrology for quantum technologies

Prof. Mauro Paternostro (Queen’s University Befast) has worked on the foundations of quantum mechanics and the design of quantum technologies for all his academic career. His work has pioneered the fields of cavity optomechanics, quantum communication, quantum thermodynamics, and the foundations of quantum mechanics. He has authored 180+ research papers published in top-tier international journals (including Nature and Phys. Rev. Lett.) and has attracted 7000 citations (h-index = 42) and €9+ Million of research funding from various sources. He is Vice Chair and Grant Holder of COST Action CA15220, of which he was one of the primary proposers. He is Chief Editor of the De Gruyter journal “Quantum Measurement and Quantum Metrology” and served as Editorial Board Member of Phys. Rev. A (2011-2014). He held Visiting Professor positions at Ecole Normale Superieure de Paris (France), Sapienza University of Rome (Italy), Universität Ulm (Germany), and the Federal University of ABC (Sao Paulo, Brazil).

Prof. Ilaria Siloi is a Computational Physicist with over six years of experience as a research scholar. She began her academic journey with a Ph.D., where she specialized in quantum information and developed expertise in modeling and detecting quantum correlations within realistic spin systems, particularly focusing on molecular nanomagnets. Following her doctoral studies, she worked as a postdoctoral associate in Italy and Finland for two years, concentrating on the decoherent dynamics of few-particle quantum walks. Her growing interest in solid-state physics and material science led her to the University of North Texas, where she delved into ab initio methodologies. During her time there, her research was centered on solving electronic structure problems and designing novel thermoelectric materials. Recently, driven by her enthusiasm for quantum technologies and a curiosity for solving real-world challenges using quantum computing, she joined the University of Southern California. At USC, she now applies quantum annealers and gate-based quantum computers to address complex problems in quantum chemistry and materials science.

Prof. Ahmed Farouk (Hurghada University) is a Senior Scientist at the Qatar Center for Quantum Computing and an Associate Professor at the faculty of computers and artificial intelligence at Hurghada University, Egypt. He is an early-career scientist demonstrating excellence in quantum communication, quantum cryptography, quantum machine learning, and cybersecurity research, having published more than 120 research papers with a high impact (over 5,300 citations and a 39 H-index). He received the Egyptian State Encouragement Award in advanced technological sciences, the University Encouragement Award in basic sciences and engineering, the Prof. Dr. Tarek Kamel Award in communications and information technology, and many more. He has also been selected as one of 17 researchers from Africa to participate in the prestigious Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, selected by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences to participate in the 2nd and 3rd U.S.-Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine symposium and his work has been recognized as one of Stanford's World Top 2% scientists. He has won several travel and full grants from IEEE Computer Society, Lindau Foundation, Baden-Württemberg International, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.

Dr. Ahmed Al Qatatsheh leads the quantum business, including quantum strategy formulation and development, as well as quantum computing and research collaboration for IBM Quantum in the Middle East and Africa. Dr. Ahmed is an IBM Senior Quantum Ambassador and QISKIT Advocate, as well as a leading researcher in material science, nanotechnology, and quantum computing. His research focuses on practical applications in aerospace, automotive, defense, healthcare, and sustainability. Dr. Ahmed has made significant contributions to advancing quantum computing, particularly in addressing computational challenges and exploring new architectures and algorithms in materials science for superconductivity and other material properties. His research in nanotechnology has enabled various applications, including sensing and actuation, as well as carbon capture solutions, that offer innovative approaches to mitigating climate change.

Dr. Alexandre Choquette is a quantum computing professional with experience in academia and industry. At IBM Quantum, he is responsible for driving the adoption of quantum computing across various industries through strategic partnerships and collaborations in Canada and internationally. Alexandre holds a MSc in Quantum Computing from Université de Sherbrooke and prior to his current role he worked as a research scientist at IBM Quantum Zürich and 1QBit.

Dr. Voica Rădescu is one of the most influential voices in the field of quantum technologies applied to major global challenges. As the EMEA Lead for IBM Quantum Innovation Centers, Dr. Rădescu develops strategic partnerships between IBM and academic institutions across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Under her leadership, the first IBM Quantum Innovation Center in Romania was launched in Iași, within the FreeYa Mind campus – a platform supporting education and research in the quantum field. With a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Pittsburgh and an outstanding academic and scientific career – which includes CERN, DESY, Oxford, and Heidelberg – Dr. Rădescu is today a key figure in applying quantum technologies for a sustainable and ethical future.