The Washington Technology Industry Association today announced a new report underscoring Washington’s expertise in quantum computing and highlighting opportunities for specialization, quantum information sciences workforce expansion, and collaboration with other material clusters around the country.
The report, Quantum Information Sciences in Washington State, was prepared by Moonbeam for WTIA’s Advanced Technology Cluster.
Quantum, like other technology innovation in Washington, presents significant opportunities for the state, according to a WTIA news release on the report. Washington is the only U.S. quantum center of excellence that's already an established innovation hub, has exemplary academic institutions, and is home to the headquarters of major technology companies investing heavily in QIS, the release added.
“WTIA was selected by the Washington Department of Commerce as their lead partner to expand our position as a global innovation hub through an Advanced Technology Cluster,” WTIA CEO Michael Schutzler said in the release. “This report validates our thesis that Washington state has the right mix of organizations and capabilities — ranging from startups to legacy enterprises — to ensure Washington becomes a global leader in both quantum adoption and commercialization.”
Today’s report follows Friday’s news that Maryland-based IonQ plans to establish a quantum computing research and manufacturing facility in Bothell.
In announcing IonQ’s arrival, Peter Chapman, president and CEO of IonQ, cited the Seattle region’s long status as a hub of tech innovation and manufacturing that has the workers his company needs to design, build, and manufacture its quantum computers.
“As we planned our expansion, the Seattle area was an ideal option for our new facility,” he said last week. “We’re excited to be among the other innovative companies who call Seattle home, many of which are IonQ partners and customers.”
The WTIA report highlights new opportunities for the state, including specializing around current local industry strengths that also have potential for quantum, like health tech, ag tech and cybersecurity. Washington state is already producing ample QIS talent, thanks to strong university programs and a statewide investment in STEM; however, the state must prioritize programming to support minorities, women, and international students to build a more diverse workforce, according to the release. The state should also seek to drive connections that catalyze innovation with complementary clusters globally, it said.
Key takeaways from the report note that Washington QIS investors are exclusively in the Seattle metro area, with nearly half focused on software, materials, and health; Washington is experiencing “brain drain” with local universities producing more quantum professionals than can be employed locally; and half of students in quantum programs are foreign nationals, and many struggle getting visas to continue working within the state.
The report also notes that the U.S. has been actively funding QIS R&D for the past 15 years, with significant increases since 2019; venture capital is the primary investment for QIS startups, with deal counts steadily increasing over time; quantum sensing is expecting growth in its market share driven by the defense and agriculture industries.
“The Washington tech industry has built a solid foundation when it comes to QIS through the significant attraction of advanced research funding used to develop differentiated capabilities,” Moonbeam CEO Nirav Desai said in the release. “As quantum evolves, Washington state is well positioned to play a coordination and leadership role in quantum adoption both nationally and globally.”
Krysta Svore, distinguished engineer and vice president of advanced quantum development at Microsoft, noted in the release that the goal of the Northwest Quantum Nexus is to advance Quantum Information Sciences research and develop a QIS-trained workforce. Microsoft is a founding NQN partner.
“This report from WTIA and Moonbeam gives credence to our goals and demonstrates Washington’s progress and potential when it comes to increasing the visibility of QIS research and accelerating collaboration statewide,” Svore said.
In January 2022, the state of Washington’s Innovation Cluster Accelerator awarded $550,000 to WTIA to enable the development of an advanced technology cluster to drive private investment, job creation, and world-leading innovation throughout the state. The cluster aims to build connectivity and collaboration across blockchain technologies and quantum computing, uniting corporations, academia, startups, government, and investors to power growth for both sectors. In 2023, the cluster plans to work more closely with schools on tech transfer and commercialization, develop resources around Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer to grow local access to funding, and forge new industry partnerships, the release said.
