IBM and Google have jointly pledged $150 million towards a quantum computing initiative in the United States and Japan. This initiative aims to accelerate the development of quantum technologies, particularly in the face of growing competition from China. The funding will support research collaborations, educational programs, and infrastructure improvements to foster advancements in quantum computing. The move reflects the increasing importance of quantum technology in various fields and highlights the efforts of these companies to maintain their global leadership in the quantum computing race.
According to the WSJ, the deal will be announced at the Hiroshima G-7 summit and seeks to maintain the American lead in critical technology.
To help clients prepare for the post-quantum era, IBM’s new capabilities include the Quantum Safe Explorer, which scans source and object code to identify vulnerabilities and create a cryptography bill of materials. The Quantum Safe Advisor provides a dynamic view of cryptographic inventory to guide remediation efforts, while the Quantum Safe Remediator allows organizations to deploy and test quantum-safe remediation patterns.
IBM emphasizes the importance of quantum-safe encryption in addressing future quantum-based cybersecurity threats. Companies should also establish a migration plan to transition to quantum-safe technology and consider adopting a crypto-agile approach that combines classical cryptography with post-quantum algorithms. IBM’s Quantum Safe technology aims to provide a robust and future-proof security framework in the face of advancing quantum computing capabilities.
The US Department of Defence (DoD) has released the National Defence Science and Technology Strategy (NDSTS) to outline science and technology priorities, goals, and investments. The NDSTS will guide the future of the defence research and engineering enterprise along three main goals: focusing on the joint mission by investing in information systems and establishing processes for rigorous, threat-informed analysis; creating and fielding capabilities at speed and scale by fostering a more vibrant defence innovation ecosystem; and ensuring the foundations for research and development. The strategy emphasises the need to develop asymmetric capabilities that will help ensure national security over the long term and leverage critical emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing to achieve the objectives of the National Defence Strategy.
With the NDSTS the DoD seeks to ‘make carefully crafted decisions that bolster the DoD’s comparative advantages’, according to Heidi Shyu, DoD Chief Technology Officer.
Moderna and IBM have announced a partnership to use generative artificial intelligence and quantum computing to advance messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. This technology is at the core of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine, which has been highly effective in protecting against the virus. IBM’s quantum computing systems could help Moderna accelerate the discovery and creation of new mRNA vaccines and therapies, and IBM will provide experts to help Moderna scientists explore the use of quantum technologies in this area. Moderna will also have access to IBM’s generative AI model to design a new class of vaccines and therapies.
The agreement comes as Moderna looks to harness its mRNA technology to target other diseases beyond Covid. IBM is also investing in AI with new partnerships, including a deal with NASA to build AI foundation models to advance climate science.
The Indian government’s Union Cabinet has approved the National Quantum Mission (NQM) from 2023-24 to 2030-31. The mission aims to promote and scale up scientific and industrial R&D in Quantum Technology (QT) in India, with the goal of making India one of the leading nations in the development of Quantum Technologies & Applications (QTA). The mission targets the development of intermediate-scale quantum computers, secure quantum communications, quantum key distribution, quantum memories, and magnetometers with high sensitivity. Four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) will be established in top academic and national R&D institutes to focus on quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum sensing & metrology, and quantum materials & devices. The mission is expected to benefit various sectors, such as communication and health, as well as space applications. It will also support national priorities like Digital India, Make in India, Skill India, Stand-up India, Self-reliant India, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
The Office of the Secretary of Defence is requesting $75 million in fiscal 2024 for a new project called Quantum Transition Acceleration, which aims to accelerate the commercialisation and operationalisation of quantum devices for Pentagon purposes and mature the US supply chain underpinning the making of emerging quantum technologies. The Pentagon recognises the risk of the slowdown of technological maturation affiliated with quantum applications for defence, and the Quantum Transition Acceleration project seeks to alleviate these issues. The majority of the budget – $45 million – would be used to mature, demonstrate, and transition specific technologies. The remaining $30 million would focus on identifying, developing, and maturing critical components supporting technology for atomic clocks, quantum sensors, and quantum computers, and help accelerate the transition of laboratory-scale systems to manufacturable commercial products.
The department also projects that it will request $100 million per year in the fiscal 2025-2028 timeframe to continue pushing the project forward. The investment is key to help the US stay competitive with other nations in quantum computing and other quantum-enabled technologies with key national security implications.
The Australian government has announced a $46 million investment to boost quantum education and collaboration in the country. The funding will support the development of quantum technology through partnerships between industry and academia, as well as the creation of a national network of quantum researchers. The initiative aims to train the next generation of quantum scientists and engineers, and help Australia become a world leader in quantum technology. The funding will be distributed through two grant programs, the Quantum Science Research Program and the Quantum Technology Commercialisation Program.
Florida State University (FSU) has announced a major investment in quantum science and engineering. The university will create a new Quantum Science and Engineering Centre, which will bring together faculty from various disciplines to advance quantum research and education. The centre will also collaborate with industry partners and government agencies to accelerate the development of quantum technologies. FSU plans to hire 25 new faculty members in quantum science and engineering over the next five years, as well as invest in new research infrastructure and educational programs. This initiative aims to position FSU as a leading institution in quantum science and engineering, and to prepare students for the emerging quantum workforce.
FSU researchers are already involved in the National Quantum Initiative, which is a strategic priority of the federal government of the United States aimed at expanding the knowledge of quantum information science and developing new technologies. This initiative involves various agencies, including the National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, Department of Commerce, Department of Energy, and others, with a total funding of $2.6 billion.
The US government has passed the Quantum Preparedness Act, requiring US government agencies protecting national security systems and related assets to adopt quantum-resistant cryptography algorithms by 2025. NIST is currently standardising quantum-resistant public-key cryptographic algorithms, and PQShield will provide insights into real-world implementation of quantum-resistant cryptography into software, hardware, and advanced protocols, and offer guidance on how organisations can identify which hardware, software, and services require upgrading. PQShield was also one of several firms that contributed to four quantum-resistant algorithms chosen by NIST for standardisation in May 2022.
Through information exchanges and regular meetings, the parties intend to exchange views on developments in the field of research, education, policy, implementation, and use case development in quantum technologies. They will also explore possibilities for improving alignment across policy and funding priorities.
