Abstract
This project memo-report presents the Milestone 2 (M2) Initial Risk Assessment pertaining to innovation and societal risks for the Silicon Integrated QUantum Emitter Strain detection (SiQUEST) project. SiQUEST is an early-stage effort to converge aluminium-nitride single-photon emitters (AlN SPE), integrated photonics, silicon single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) into a compact quantum-sensing platform. The project memo-report combines the project’s Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) and Sustainability Readiness Levels (SRL) assessments with literature on responsible innovation, convergence, sustainability, governance and dual use. The central finding is that of low and uneven readiness, especially at integrated-system level. Priorities are interface-focused readiness indicators, early lifecycle data collection, research-security and dual-use reviews. No evidence at this stage supports treating the platform as an acute societal risk. Strategic risk assessment is recommended as a mechanism for further developing credible, adaptive and socially responsible innovation pathways.