Making these technologies more widely available could unlock the potential for new areas of large-scale R&D and, ultimately, new business applications. It would allow scientists and engineers to experiment and push the boundaries of what’s possible.
His two-part request of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was:
In this case, Boulay drew on NIST’s technical expertise not to solve a specific problem for a specific company but to get a glimpse of what this new industry would look like and how Illinois companies could position themselves for this emerging opportunity. MATTR can help articulate what it will take to create capabilities, or for manufacturers to reorganize their capabilities to build or supply parts for laser systems, insulators, and the liquid helium for bio-coolers needed for quantum technologies.
Understanding what’s needed and mapping capabilities
A logical next step is supply chain mapping, which answers the fundamental questions about this complex technology: What are the component parts, and what will it take to make them? Who might be capable of making them? Who can afford to invest?
Quantum technology is a somewhat broad category that includes:
• Quantum computing, which, if realized, could solve certain problems much faster than classical computers, with potential applications in drug discovery, materials science, financial modeling, and many others
• Quantum sensors, which have unprecedented sensitivity with applications in medical imaging, navigation, and geophysical exploration
• Quantum communication, which features advanced encryption and will enable more secure information sharing across public- and private-sector networks
Illinois isn’t alone in positioning itself for advancements in quantum computing. Other key players in moving quantum technology forward include:
• The Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C)—A consortium of stakeholders that aims to enable and grow the quantum industry. QED-C was established with support from NIST as part of the federal strategy for advancing quantum information science, and as called for by the 2018 National Quantum Initiative Act.
• SRI—An American nonprofit scientific research institute that employs more than 2,000 people and brings innovations and ideas to the marketplace
• The Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE)—Provides an avenue for developing and fostering collaborations, joint projects, and information exchange. The CQE states that it “brings together member institutions’ intellectual talents, research capabilities, and engineering capacities in a powerful collaborative effort to advance quantum science. Together, the universities and national laboratories have more than 210 researchers in various areas of quantum information technology.”
What is quantum technology, and why the interest?
1. How can Illinois manufacturers position themselves to manufacture the components and parts needed for this innovative technology?
IMEC works with key stakeholders such as the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Intersect Illinois, and World Business Chicago to understand the supply chain required for quantum computing. It’s similar in nature to what the same group of stakeholders has done for semiconductor chips and electric vehicle batteries.
One of the challenges for U.S. manufacturers is being able to develop or adopt technological innovations in a cost-effective manner. R&D can be expensive and time-consuming. Early-stage R&D often results in technology that confirms the proof of concept for an application or process, but it can be a long journey from producing a result in a lab to establishing reproducible, manufacturable, and scalable products and processes. That’s where MATTR comes in.
Published Aug. 6, 2024, by NIST.