By Rene Reimann, Senior Director for Quantum Sensing at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII)
Modern life depends on precision. Aircraft, cargo vessels and even your favorite ride-hailing apps all rely on one invisible but critical layer: global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). One of the best-known GNSS systems is the Global Positioning System (GPS). These technologies are so deeply embedded in our infrastructure that their absence can cause cascading disruption across sectors.
That vulnerability is no longer theoretical. Recently, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen experienced a temporary loss of GNSS during a flight, forcing the crew to switch to ground-based navigation systems[1]. The incident, while resolved without harm, highlighted the fragile underpinnings of even our most trusted systems. GNSS signals are increasingly disrupted, both by unintentional interference and by deliberate jamming or spoofing.
What the incident revealed, and what experts have long warned, is the brittleness of the systems GNSS supports. The issue isn’t limited to a single aircraft or industry. GNSS synchronizes global networks, and its disruption can trigger wider systemic failure. In today’s digital infrastructure, a gap in navigation capability is no longer just inconvenient – it’s a security risk.
The search for alternatives is now a global priority. Among the most promising solutions is quantum sensing – a technology that measures atomic properties with extreme precision to track position and movement. These systems are immune to jamming and spoofing because they rely on naturally occurring signals rather than on man-made communication.
At the leading edge of this field is quantum magnetometry – an innovative approach that transforms the Earth’s magnetic field into a global navigation map. Every location has a distinct magnetic “fingerprint,” shaped by subtle local anomalies. Harnessing this, quantum magnetometers can provide accurate positioning data even where GNSS is unavailable, unreliable, or compromised.
The challenge now is turning this scientific promise into an operational reality. Around the world, research teams and companies are working to develop quantum magnetometry systems that can operate reliably in the field, not just in the lab, including my team at the Technology Innovation Institute, where we are building and testing navigation hardware that uses quantum sensors to match magnetic anomalies to known locations. Together with other TII teams, we are tackling complex engineering, improving algorithmic accuracy, and ensuring the system performs in demanding real-world conditions.
In this regard, the UAE offers a unique advantage. Its expansive desert terrain, with minimal magnetic variation, presents one of the most challenging testbeds for magnetic navigation, making it an ideal environment to push the limits of this technology. By succeeding here, these technologies would show their potential to reduce dangerous over-reliance on GNSS and secure the foundations of navigation globally.
This is not about replacing existing systems but about reinforcing them. GNSS has transformed how the world moves, and it will continue to do so. But as our reliance deepens, the case for complementary, robust solutions becomes stronger. Quantum approaches like magnetometry offer exactly that: an added layer of resilience for the critical infrastructure modern life depends on.
It is no coincidence that the United Nations proclaimed 2025 as the “International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.” From sensing to communications to computing, innovations once seen as theoretical are rapidly moving into real-world applications. Navigation without man-made communication is part of this shift – no longer a distant ambition but a technology being engineered, tested, and proven today. The countries and institutions that embrace it now will help shape a future where navigation remains assured – everywhere, and under any conditions.
[1] EU says von der Leyen’s plane GPS system was jammed, Russian interference suspected | Reuters
