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US quantum initiatives: from R&D to innovation

Celia I. Merzbacher

Published Sep 22, 2020• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

The US National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018 established a multi-agency program that aims to advance quantum information science (QIS) and promote application and commercialization. Agencies including the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Air Force, and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are growing their investments. The Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) is an industry-driven consortium supported by NIST and more than 185 corporations, universities and other organizations to enable and grow the quantum industry and supply chain. This presentation will provide an overview of US NQI programs, especially those with a focus on innovation and economic benefit.

DOI
10.1117/12.2582832

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Abstract The U.S. Center for Quantum Technologies (CQT) is a multi-university consortium established under the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers program. Led jointly by Purdue University, Indiana University (both Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses), and the University of Notre Dame, CQT integrates academic research with industrial and governmental collaboration to accelerate quantum innovation. This perspective outlines the consortium’s strategic mission, interdisciplinary research agenda, and its role in shaping the future of quantum-enabled technologies through collaborative development, translational impact, and workforce cultivation.
Quantum technologies are increasingly recognized as a disruptive frontier that will shape the next generation of industrial strategies. Developments in quantum computing, communication, and sensing promise not only technical breakthroughs but also significant economic and geopolitical consequences. Quantum computing can accelerate drug discovery, materials research, and complex optimization, while quantum communication opens new possibilities for secure data transfer beyond the reach of classical encryption. According to European Commission Reports and National Quantum Initiative Act, leading economies are already investing heavily: the European Union has committed over €1 billion to its Quantum Flagship program, while the United States launched the National Quantum Initiative Act in 2018 to coordinate research and industrial applications. These initiatives underscore the strategic nature of the field. For industrial policy, they also raise important questions: How should governments design roadmaps that foster public–private collaboration? What forms of regulation or incentives are needed to align innovation with competitiveness and security? At the same time, quantum technologies could support sustainability goals, for example through energy-efficient algorithms and advanced climate modeling. Positioning quantum technologies not only as an enabler but as a driver of future industrial policy is essential. Unlike incremental innovations, quantum breakthroughs will actively shape the direction of national strategies, global competitiveness, and sustainability agendas. Recognizing this driver role ensures that policymakers and industries move beyond adaptation, taking a proactive stance in designing resilient and forward-looking industrial ecosystems.
With the recent passage of the National Quantum Initiative (NQI) into law, increased levels of Quantum research and workforce development will be enabled. Undoubtedly, this work will accelerate breakthroughs in many Quantum Information Science and Technology areas. In this talk, I will briefly describe the National Photonics Initiative (NPI) and it’s linkage to the National Quantum Initiative. Further, I will describe the background of the NQI and discuss the roles, as defined in the legislation, for the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), NIST, NSF and the DOE. Finally, I will describe the next steps planned to address funding “appropriation” process associated with the $1.275B that has been allocated to the work described in the legislation.
Driven in large part by the National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018, quantum information science (QIS) coursework and degree programs are rapidly spreading across U.S. institutions. Yet prior work suggests that access to quantum workforce education is unequally distributed, disproportionately benefiting students at private research-focused institutions whose student bodies are unrepresentative of U.S. higher education as a whole. We use regression analysis to analyze the distribution of QIS coursework across 456 institutions of higher learning as of Fall 2022, identifying statistically significant disparities across institutions in particular along the axes of institution classification, funding, and geographic distribution suggesting today’s QIS education programs are largely failing to reach low-income and rural students. We also conduct a brief analysis of the distribution of emerging dedicated QIS degree programs, discovering much the same trends. We conclude with a discussion of implications for educators, policymakers, and education researchers including specific policy recommendations to direct investments in QIS education to schools serving low-income and rural students, leverage existing grassroots diversity and inclusion initiatives that have arisen within the quantum community, and update and modernize procedures for collecting QIS educational data to better track these trends. Published by the American Physical Society 2024