Quantum technology has long held the interest of both the private and public sectors. The potential of quantum technology — which could be revolutionary if realized — simultaneously poses great risk and reward to society. As such, the role of government in quantum technology — ranging from regulation to investment — is growing.
Government Investment in Quantum Research
The rise of any new technology heralds another cutting edge field in the scientific and technological communities. Governments must either maintain their position as being leaders in their fields — or leverage their resources to gain upwards momentum in scientific development, if the economy allows. In a May 2022 White House National Memorandum released by the Biden administration, “while the full range of applications of quantum computers is still unknown, it is nevertheless clear that America’s continued technological and scientific leadership will depend, at least in part, on the nation’s ability to maintain a competitive advantage in quantum computing and QIS [quantum information science].”
Changes in the US budget over the last few years have reflected such a sentiment. In FY2022, US government spending on the quantum computing sector reached about $900 million — nearly double that of equivalent spending in FY2019. Many of these funds went towards research and development of quantum technologies.
Some of these went towards the establishment of new public sector institutions, namely the quantum consortia by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Quantum Leap Challenge Institute through the National Science Foundation (NSF), and National Quantum Information Science Research Centers.
See also: Top 18 Institutions Leading Quantum Computing Research in 2024
Others have gone towards the construction of facilities intended to house quantum device manufacturing processes. In June of this year, the NSF announced a $20 million investment in the construction of a nanoscale fabrication facility at the University of Colorado Boulder. This facility is anticipated to accelerate the design and development of atomic-photonic quantum devices.
Acceleration of these technologies could prove beneficial for solving problems government agencies regularly run into. For instance, agencies are burdened with optimizing emergency responses, supply chains, and transportation. All of these are wildly complex and may require years of study to return useful results, not counting diplomatic processes. Quantum computers may accelerate the research and solutions development step of this process.
Regulation of Quantum Technologies
While improvements to infrastructure and research developments fall under the societal obligations held by many governments, governments also hold the responsibility of being regulatory bodies.
The role of government in quantum also extends to regulating hte private sector. After all, most of the development in quantum computing is expected to come from the private sector (with leading companies, such as IBM, dominating much of the progress), the government presents a source of support. For one, governments can aid in the reduction of market risk for quantum companies by generating natural market growth. This mirrors the role of government in earlier technologies, such as satellite communication or space launches, while their technologies were in their relative infancy. In the current day and age, placement of quantum technology in public universities may serve as an early aid to the quantum economy.
This encouragement of a quantum presence in higher level education could boost the long-term sustainability of a quantum-drive economy. By providing the infrastructure – such as funds for open source courses and training – necessary for constructing the next generation of quantum researchers, the country could maintain (or grow) its quantum ready workforce.
On the flip side, one may argue protecting the general public from harmful repercussions of a more powerful computational machine falls within the responsibilities of the government. An especially large fear involves encryption-breaking quantum algorithms. As such, NIST and others have hosted competitions, released encryption standards, and pushed for awareness in the private sector for post-quantum encryption.
See also: My Company Isn’t Quantum, Do I need to be Quantum Ready?
All in all, the role of government in quantum technology is undeniable. As such, the government’s role as a risk manager and pusher for research development in the sector will continue well into the future. Keeping an eye on investments and adjustments to infrastructure – and advocating for it, as students, researchers, and business executives – may guarantee that your country remains at the forefront of quantum development.
