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Quantum computing will be one of the most defining technologies of the century. It will intersect and enhance capabilities across sectors such as climate change, manufacturing, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence.

China is ranked second to the United States in terms of research about this technology, according to the Australian Strategic Policy Institutes Critical Technology Tracker, and the race to achieve quantum supremacy is intensifying.

In particular, the United States must work to mitigate the risks that quantum computers pose to national and economic security. These computers will be able to surpass existing cybersecurity encryption standards in minutes, even in situations that would take a conventional computer years to solve, compromising the confidentiality and integrity of the security used for everything from banking to data storage and internet communication.

Preparations for such a scenario are already being undertaken in the United States by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which has released its first batch of four cryptographic algorithms designed to withstand decryption by a future quantum computer.

However, the United States cant safeguard its leadership on quantum computing by acting alone. In a similar situation to the semiconductor industry, there is a limited global talent pool of expertise in the sector, and Washington needs to coordinate the human capital, research and development, and the advanced manufacturing capabilities needed to bring quantum computing online in a time frame conducive to the pacing threat that China poses.

The United States has already acknowledged the pressing need to secure advanced technology supply chains through the passing of the CHIPS and Science Act in August 2022. As the country looks to place similar export controls on advanced technologies such as quantum computing, it must not cut its allies out.

Instead, Washington needs to leverage the complementary strengths of each nations advanced technology ecosystems. That collaboration must begin with semiconductors.

Conversations on the security of advanced semiconductor supply chains and the importance of investment in quantum computing often occur independently. Yet, Washingtons ability to maintain global leadership in the quantum computing industry hinges on secure access to advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

Advanced semiconductors serve as the processors of quantum computers. They contain qubits (short for quantum bits) that enable these computers to process algorithms and equations significantly faster than standard computers. The more qubits that a quantum computer contains, the more powerful it is. In the global race to develop a useful quantum computer that is commercially scalable, access to advanced semiconductor manufacturing will be a determining factor in winning.

China is being forced into domestic manufacturing of advanced semiconductors due to U.S. export controls imposed under the CHIPS and Science Act. However, in August, Chinese telecommunication giant Huawei released its latest smartphone, containing an advanced, Chinese-manufactured 7 nanometer chip, which suggests that Chinas semiconductor industry is adapting to the export controls designed to slow its advancements. China is also developing its advanced foundry capabilities, which are used in the chip manufacturing process, and this will further aid its quantum computing industry.

Australia is a natural partner for the United States on quantum computing. Despite having only 0.3 percent of the global population, Australia is home to 10 percent of the worlds quantum scientists; these scientists are supported by a national quantum strategy. Announced in May, the strategy lays out the ambitious goal of building the worlds first error-corrected quantum computer and the importance of collaboration with trusted partners in the private sector to create it.

Collaboration between the United States and Australia in quantum computing sciences dates to the late 1990s, when there was engagement between the U.S. Army Research Office and Australian quantum computing research centers. In 2021, a landmark statement of intent was signed between the two governments to cooperate and share the benefits of quantum information and science technologies.

But commitment must continue to go beyond government-to-government engagement and involve academia and industry, as well. One example of these partnerships was made in September 2023, when Australia-based companies Q-CTRL, a quantum infrastructure software developer, and Diraq, a leading innovator in silicon-based quantum computing, announced a joint venture in pursuit of projects funded by both the U.S. and Australian governments, with the shared goal of accelerating the commercial adoption of quantum computing.

Alongside the U.S.-Australia bilateral relationship, the AUKUS security arrangement offers the two nations an endorsed pathway to deepen innovation ties and achieve scalability alongside the United Kingdom. Quantum computing has been identified as a priority for AUKUS partners under their technology-sharing agreement as one of eight specified areas of advanced capability collaboration. While global collaboration should not be limited to AUKUS partners, it provides a starting framework for coordinating strategic investment between the three nations.

U.S.-based quantum computing company PsiQuantum is a prime example of partnerships between the quantum industry and semiconductor manufacturers within an alliance ecosystem. With Australian origins and a presence in the U.K. quantum computing industry, PsiQuantum has established a strategic partnership with the U.S. semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries.

Investment from the U.S. semiconductor industry alongside the Australian and U.K. quantum computing industry can facilitate access to the advanced manufacturing capabilities needed to develop quantum computing technologies. The collaboration utilizes otherwise disparate talent pools, provides U.S. industry with access to additional advanced research and development, and has the dual benefit of diversifying advanced manufacturing supply chains for the United States.

The United Kingdom and Australia host a range of quantum organizations that could be grown through similar partnerships with U.S. semiconductor foundries. In the U.K., the National Quantum Computing Centre is backed by government support. Similarly in Australia, there are several global quantum front-runners.

Beyond AUKUS, the United States can also look to other nations for examples of successful public-private partnerships, such as that of Canadian quantum company Xanadu, which has partnered with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea to develop a quantum workforce pipeline. The institute also undertakes advanced semiconductor research, and South Korea is, of course, a key player in global advanced chip manufacturing supply chains.

While industry players understand the technical needs of their technologies, support from government is key to accelerating these activities. It provides access to capital and markets that encourage industry growth where, under natural market conditions, it might have been slower.

The United States and allied governments therefore need to collaborate to provide investment incentives to encourage public-private partnership between quantum computing companies and mature U.S.-based chip manufacturers. Collaboration will require relationship building, infrastructure investment, and research and development coordination that should begin now.

Moreover, as global leaders in quantum computing, the United States and allies also can shape the industry as it develops through the establishment of international standards and norms, ensuring that the technology is brought online responsibly. This includes the ability to shape strategic supply chain development and ensure that infrastructure such as specialized data centers and a highly skilled workforce are built and cultivated within a trusted alliance ecosystem that can withstand geostrategic competition.

The United States is already throwing everything it can at slowing down Chinas access to the technology and the expertise it needs to gain a competitive advantage in key technology areas. Access to talent, research and innovation, and advanced semiconductor manufacturing are vital ingredients in achieving quantum computing leadership. As global technology competition continues to intensify, a strong history of allied partnership is an advantage that the United States holds over adversaries, and it needs to be bullish about leveraging it.

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After Australian State Visit to D.C., Washington and Canberra Must ... - Foreign Policy

SHERBROOKE, Qubec, Oct. 31, 2023 PASQAL, a global leader company in neutral atom quantum computing, is proud to announce its support to the Faculty of Engineering, Universit de Sherbrooke (UdeS), a leader in education and applied research in Canada, to open a Professor Position in Applied Quantum Computing. The creation of this Chair is part of PASQALs strategy to delivering real-world applications to the industry and quantum advantage in the short term.

PASQAL is setting up a facility to manufacture quantum processors at Espace Quantique 1 of DistriQ Quantum Innovation Zone in Sherbrooke, Canada. In this new flagship installation, PASQAL-Canada will produce hardware for the North American market to accelerate the adoption of neutral atom quantum computing in the region.

Within this framework, PASQAL is contributing with $500,000 CAD to a full-time non-tenure-track position at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the Faculty of Engineering. This contribution is to be used as a match with Canadian federal and/or provincial granting agencies, such as Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Alliance program; and Regroupements sectoriels de recherche industrielle au Qubec.

The selected Chair holder will lead the development of neutral atom quantum software solutions for industry, by finding the most direct paths to deliver business value and quantum advantage.

About UdeS The Faculty of Engineering

The UdeS Faculty of Engineering is a leader in education and applied research. Recognized for its dynamism in collaborative research, it stands out particularly in terms of technology transfer and concrete impacts on society. It is also a faculty on a human scale, which favours rigorous and complete training of its students, particularly through the alternating study and internship program. In a friendly and highly collaborative environment, discovery and innovation are strongly encouraged. To foster its long-term growth, the Faculty of Engineering is particularly focused on interdisciplinary initiatives and emerging fields. The Faculty of Engineering has several research centers as well as the Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT), apart of the Integrated Innovation Chain along with the Institut quantique (IQ)and the Centre de collaboration MiQro Innovation (C2MI).

About PASQAL

PASQAL is a major player in the global race for quantum computing. The company is the leading manufacturer of neutral atom quantum computers and offers complete solutions for end-users. PASQALs products and services include quantum computers, cloud access and software solutions for the energy, mobility, healthcare, high-tech, aerospace and financial sectors. By leveraging the dual analog/digital nature of its quantum computers, PASQAL is propelling neutral-atom quantum technology with the aim of delivering a practical quantum advantage on early use cases within the next five years.

About the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department

The faculty members of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department are active in the fields of classical and quantum embedded systems engineering, autonomous vehicles, robotics, embedded artificial intelligence, neuromorphic systems, instrumentation and digital communications. The Department has seven research chairs and offers masters and doctoral programs that allow students to work in infrastructures that bring together numerous cutting-edge research laboratories under the direction of internationally recognized researchers. The Departments facilities include clean rooms for microfabrication, development and characterization laboratories for integrated circuit packaging, smart antennas and software-defined radio, medical devices, instruments for particle physics, power electronics and electric vehicles, embedded systems and robotics, as well as a platform for the design, development and fabrication of printed electronic circuits, a 1MW solar infrastructure, and a space and immersive audio room. Of the Universitys six institutes, the Departments faculty members are notably involved at 3IT, IQ and the Research Center on Aging (CDRV).

Source: PASQAL

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PASQAL and Universit de Sherbrooke Forge Partnership to ... - HPCwire

What sort of computer can evaluate 67 million potential solutions in 13 seconds? Only a quantum computer. But what sort of problem has 67 million solutions to begin with?

Many manufacturing challenges do, from optimizing supply chain logistics to finding the most efficient way to load millions of pallets. In recent years, another mind-bendingly complex problem has begun to occupy the industry: how to get potentially dangerous chemicals in a category known as PFAS out of use and out of our environment.

Quantum computing firm D-Wave says that quantum holds the key, as its massive computing power could find new ways to remove or remediate the chemicals, or even help identify which of the thousands of chemicals in this class are indeed dangerous. We recently spoke to D-Wave Global Government Relations and Public Affairs Leader Allison Schwartz to get the details.

How it works: As Schwartz explains it, quantum is a completely different form of computing.

When quantum meets PFAS: So how does this help with PFAS? Schwartz told us that there are two different types of quantum computing that would prove useful.

Doing the research: Quantum could also play a role in determining which chemicals are harmful in the first place, added Schwartz. There are thousands of PFAS chemicals out there, but so far, only a few hundred have been studied.

Read the whole story here.

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How Quantum Computing Can Combat Forever Chemicals - NAM

The Wellcome Trust has selected the Cleveland Clinic-IBM Discovery Accelerator to develop proof-of-concept demonstrations of quantum computing for biologic and health applications through the Wellcome Leap Quantum for Bio Challenge.

WHY IT MATTERS

Q4Bio by Wellcome Leap, a U.S.- based nonprofit organization aiming to accelerate and increase the number of breakthroughs in global health, seeks to codevelop health applications that demonstrate benefit from the use of quantum computers and are expected to emerge over the next three to five years.

In addition to an award for up to $40 million to fund two projects that focus on the manifestation of disease and use of quantum physics to prevent and treat cancer, the team may receive $10 million in challenge prizes for successful, scalable technologies and approaches.

Cleveland Clinic and IBM installed the first quantum system dedicated to healthcare research on the main campus earlier this year, according to Wednesday's announcement.

Since Cleveland Clinic and IBM announced their intentions to advance biomedical research through high-performance computing, artificial intelligence and quantum computing in 2021, the Cleveland Clinic-IBM Discovery Accelerator researchers have been working on a portfolio of projects that generate and quickly analyze large amounts of data for a wide range of disease-focused research.

Deployment of the quantum system was a key milestone in the organizations 10-year partnership, said Cleveland Clinic and IBM.

For Q4Bio, the accelerator will focus on protein-conformation prediction with quantum computing, which could lead to new insights into how proteins function and interact with other molecules to better understand the manifestation of diseases and develop more effective, targeted therapies.

The team will work to develop quantum algorithms and workflows to explore how they could contribute to the creation of universal, scalable methods for predicting protein structures more accurately and quickly.

For the second project, Algorithmiq joins the collaborators to create a set of computational tools that aims to explore how quantum computing could assist in the development of photon-activated drugs for cancer.

The quantum computing for photon-drug interactions in cancer prevention and cancer treatment will leverage Algorithmiqs drug discovery platform, Aurora, which uses IBMs quantum hardware, and Cleveland Clinics experience developing drug applications.

THE LARGER TREND

Quantum computing canturbocharge healthcare data analytics, benefitting medical imaging, pathology and more.

"This technology holds tremendous promise in revolutionizing healthcare and expediting progress toward new cares, cures and solutions for patients," said Cleveland Clinic CEO Dr. Tom Mihaljevic in a statement announcing the health system'sdeployment of IBM Quantum System One.

"Quantum and other advanced computing technologies will help researchers tackle historic scientific bottlenecks and potentially find new treatments for patients with diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's and diabetes," he added.

Theuse of quantum physics to help destroy cancer cellsin a study by Kyoto University, announced in 2021, used X-rays on tumor tissue containing iodine-carrying nanoparticles, triggering cancer cell death within three days.

At the time, researchers said they were able to produce a quantum-physics phenomenon inside a cancer cell by generating low-energy electrons close to DNA and inflicting damage difficult to repair, which eventually led to programmed cell death.

ON THE RECORD When the IBM supercomputerwas first deployedat Cleveland Clinic this past March, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna noted how Quantum System One would enable researchers to "explore and uncover new scientific advancements in biomedical research. By combining the power of quantum computing, artificial intelligence and other next-generation technologies with Cleveland Clinic's world-renowned leadership in healthcare and life sciences, we hope to ignite a new era of accelerated discovery."

Andrea Fox is senior editor of Healthcare IT News. Email:afox@himss.org Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.

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Cleveland Clinic, IBM to lead new quantum computing for health ... - Healthcare IT News

Few would argue that 2023 has been the year of AI. But it's not the only deep tech worth your attention.

The ecosystem in quantum technology is rapidly evolving thanks to government investment and infrastructure, academic partnerships, university spinouts, and industry traction.

The race is on to scale quantum tech from conceptual to a solver of broader societal and economic impact.

Currently, the UK is the world's third largest quantum developing country, after the USA and China, attracting more startups and capital investment than any other European state.

But one investment company has its sights on a far smaller country with the potential to become a world leader in quantum technology Denmark.

Quantum Exponential is the UK's first venture capital firm specialising in quantum technology, and recently opened its first European office in Copenhagen.

And according to Stuart Woods, CSO of Quantum Exponential, Denmark is the place to watch for the next explosion of quantum innovation and it goes way beyond the supercomputers that captivate many journalists.

I spoke to Woods to learn more about why the company has its sights set on Denmark and about what this all means regarding the commercialisation of quantum computing and Europe's wider quantum strategy in Europe.

But first let's take a look at what's interesting about Denmark.

To date, 17 countries have invested in national quantum technology research and development programs, with an estimated spending of over $30 billion.

Denmark announced the second part of its National Quantum Strategy last month, focusing on the commercialisation, security and international collaboration in the field of quantum technology.

Besides this framework on paper, the country has the necessary, and proven, trinity that interconnected relationship between academia, government, and enterprise/industry with real commercial use cases that turn the technology into something tangible.

According to Woods:

"The quantum field in Denmark is experiencing momentum, and we are excited to be at its epicentre.

Recent global dynamics and our deepened understanding of quantum technology make Copenhagen an ideal location for nurturing the next generation of quantum technology."

The government has allocated 161 million from 2024-2027 to strengthen Denmark's quantum ecosystem. It doesn't look all that impressive compared to the investments of the UK government, especially considering some of the big raises in the commercial that we've seen recently. Still, it's pretty good for a three-year project in a far smaller country.

Last year, the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen also became the home of a new NATO Center for Quantum Technologies. The Center offers an accelerator site and incubator where companies can mature their technology and bring it to market, as well as test centres for developing components in quantum sensors, quantum encryption devices and quantum computers.

The new centre is also part of NATO's Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), developing dual-use (civilian and defence) deep tech, which helps solve challenging defence and security problems.

Further, 2022 saw research from the Niels Bohr Institute of the University of Copenhagen receive a grant of $200 million from the Novo Nordisk Foundation to build a full-scale generally applicable quantum computer before the end of 2034. The project will run for 12 years in collaboration with research groups from leading universities and industries, including from the United States, the Netherlands, Canada and Denmark.

Part of the project includes a fabrication unit, "The Quantum Foundry P/S" to develop, engineer and build the parts needed for one of the world's first fully functional, fault-tolerant and generally applicable quantum computers a huge boost for innovation in hardware engineering.

Additionally, Denmark is home to strong multidisciplinary sectors such as photonics, material science, nanotechnology, and computer science, which complement quantum research.

Quantum Exponential is one of two 100 percent quantum investment funds in the world the other is Quantonation in France.

Since its launch in 2021, it has invested in seven quantum companies.

According to Woods, broadly, a third of investments has been in quantum computing, a third in quantum sensing, and the final third in network and encryption:

"While the media focuses on large quantum computers, we believe very strongly that quantum sensing will be much larger than quantum computing over the next two to three years, to the point where the word quantum will be dropped and it will become known simply as sensing."

Quantum sensing leverages quantum states for precision measurement.

Applications include timing, , navigation, subsurface mapping, and below-cell-level medical imaging, enabling less invasive diagnostics.

These individual quantum states have further enhanced sensitivity, which with the right infrastructure, can be leveraged for new medical understanding , advanced clock systems for mega data centres, and positioning technologies (e.g., for autonomous drones) to the detection of valuable raw materials deposits.

I was curious about Quantum Exponential's investment thesis. Woods explained:

"We focus on businesses a lot of what we see might well be a product line that might not be a business.

So we try to focus on the innovative elements of the investment side and think about how this particular element or technology will be a company and not just a product line of something bigger."

He cites examples in the company's current portfolio such as Oxford Quantum Circuits and Universal Quantum.

Woods expects in the next year to see more quantum spin outs, as well as relocations and consolidations.

Over the last few years in Europe, there have been only a few.

Quantinuum acquired Cambridge Quantum Computing (UK) for an undisclosed amount in 2021.

January 2022 saw a merger between Pasqal, a developer of neutral atom-based quantum technology, and Qu&Co, a quantum algorithm and software developer.

Then, Danish company QDevil was acquired by Israeli company Quantum Machines in March 2022 for an undisclosed amount.

"So I think we'll have more spinouts, but also have more positive and constructive consolidations." "

He describes the quantum ecosystem as "patient" capital, but notes,

"However, at the same time, we are seeing other business models that are developing quite quickly.

We're seeing quantum computers now moving into data centres being put alongside cloud computing servers, simply because there is now a need and a business model, independent of the qubit count, actually to run and have access to that as a service.

We're looking at a cliff face. And we don't know how fast it's changing, but I think in the next year, we'll be surprised at just how fast things have changed and how far the industry has moved."

Sparrow Quantum is focused on advancing light-matter interfaces for quantum technologies. The company is widely recognised as a leader in single-photon sources, demonstrating the world's highest light-matter coupling efficiency.

In May this year, the company raised 4.1 million to expand its team and increase its products and services.

Hafnium Labs supports chemicals, energy, and pharma companies by addressing a significant challenge in chemistry: swiftly obtaining dependable physical properties.

The company has developed a system for combining state-of-the-art predictive methods, such as quantum chemistry and AI, with experimental physical property data.

Called Q-propsit selects and qualifies all available data and applies quantum chemistry and molecular simulation fully automated, intelligent and transparently.

Use cases include drug discovery, process design, and troubleshooting production issues faster and creating truly predictive digital twins.

Molecular Quantum Solutions develops computational tools to accelerate research & development efforts by the pharma, biotech and chemical industry. Its tools use super- and quantum-computers with computational models and algorithms to calculate the properties of materials and chemicals quickly and efficiently.

Users can, for example, screen for new materials for batteries, green solvents, new drugs and biodegradable plastics instead of conducting costly experiments in the laboratory.

The company raised 600,000 in Pre-Seed funding in July this year.

NKT Photonics supplies high-performance fibre lasers and photonic crystal fibres such as supercontinuum white light lasers, low-noise fibre lasers, ultrafast lasers, and a wide range of speciality fibres.

They are used in quantum and nanotech, medical and life sciences, industrial applications, and aerospace and defence. In quantum tech, the hardware is used in quantum computing, sensing, and metrology.

Kvantify is a quantum and high-performance computing technology firm selling SaaS solutions based on cloud-native, quantum and high-performance computing, enabling businesses to access computer power without significant in-house investments. It helps clients find alternatives for all sorts of challenges in life sciences, financial services, logistics, and other functional areas.

For example, it has built solutions in pharmaceuticals and life sciences with built-in scaling capabilities and an HPC backend fully prepared to leverage quantum computing once the technology matures.

Since its founding in 2022, it has raised 2.5 million in funding and recently expanded its reach to the UK, where the team will work on using physical simulations and machine learning in drug discovery.

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Why Denmark is at the forefront of the quantum tech revolution - Tech.eu