U.S. Quantum Technology Future Hinges on Congressional Action, New Report Finds

June 11, 2024
Allison Schwartz

Washington, D.C. — Congress is in the process of reauthorizing and expanding the National Quantum Initiative (NQI) Act which provides the United States a plan for advancing quantum research and technological development. This bill, and others being considered by Congress, gives the United States government the ability to play an important role in supporting near-term quantum technologies that have the power to revolutionize private and public sector real-world challenges, such as electrical grid resilience, port optimization, and global supply chain management.

Today, the Progressive Policy Institute’s (PPI) Innovation Frontier Project (IFP) released a new report titled “U.S. Quantum Technology Leadership Hinges on Federal Policy in the 118th Congress,” which lays out the state of today’s quantum industry and identifies policy recommendations for the reauthorization and expansion of the NQI and related legislation. Report author Allison Schwartz, Vice President of Global Government Relations and Public Affairs at D-Wave explains the passage of these important bills will help close the gap that has emerged between the pace of quantum technological innovation and the domestic policies that guide the quantum industry.

“If the United States wants to remain a global leader in quantum technology, Congress must swiftly expand and pass the reauthorization of the National Quantum Initiative Act,” said Allison Schwartz, author of the report. “Doing so will help solve some of our nation’s most pressing public sector issues and put the U.S. in line with other leading nations who are investing in long-term quantum technology.”

The report makes the following policy recommendations for the reauthorization and expansion of the National Quantum Initiative (NQI) Act and related legislation:

Boosting investment in long-term hardware advancements to keep up with other countries.
Ensuring that the NQI inclusively incorporates the full range of near-term and long-term technologies, including quantum annealing, gate-model, and quantum-classical hybrid technologies.
Regularly conducting technology readiness-level (TRL) assessments.
Supporting the development and deployment of near-term use cases through new quantum sandbox programs.
Enhancing access to commercial quantum systems by funding the quantum user access program (QUEST) authorized in the CHIPS and Science Act.
Building an integrated high-performance computing and quantum computing data-center domestic infrastructure.
Supporting domestic component and chip fabrication in addition to commercial-scale rapid prototyping research and development.
Enhancing international quantum cooperation agreements to include commercialization, talent development, and supply chains as well as academic research.

Read and download the report here.

The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org. Find an expert at PPI and follow us on Twitter.

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Media Contact: Tommy Kaelin – tkaelin@ppionline.org