Katie Pizzolato, vice president of algorithms and science partnerships at IBM, urged people to remember that while quantum “is a new technology that will be valuable and have a huge impact,” it’s important to remember that it’s still in its early stages. early stages of development.

“We are pioneers in this journey,” she said. “And as part of being a pioneer, we have to be prepared for a winding line, not a straight one. I think sometimes when we jump straight to the end user, we don’t think about the discovery and research that needs to be done in the middle with the end user in mind.”

Field scaling

A number of speakers talked about the importance of attracting new people to the field.

“We have to have talent development, and universities and governments play a huge role here,” said Charina Chou, chief operating officer of Google Quantum AI, citing the $50 million partnership between the University of Chicago, the University of Tokyo and Google as it was he announced last year. “This year alone we’ve added over 100 roles to Google Quantum AI, and a lot of times people think, ‘Oh, you know, there’s researchers, hardware engineers, software engineers.’ In fact, a lot of different skill sets are needed in our team and we really welcome a lot of different backgrounds.”

National level data points to a shift in education requirements as quantum technology expands: According to a CQE analysis of job posting data maintained by the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C®) and the Quantum Computing Report, about two-thirds of jobs quants in the industrial sector are open to those with a bachelor’s degree or less. Many employers say that curiosity, basic retraining and skills developed in other areas are often the keys to being hired for many roles.

“There’s a much lower barrier to entry (in quantum) than I think people anticipate when they start,” Pizzolato said.

Two leaders in the field discussed opportunities to build an inclusive workforce: Walter Massey—who led the National Science Foundation, Argonne National Laboratory, Morehouse College, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, among other institutions, and now advises the University from Chicago. President Paul Alivisatos of Chicago and University of Illinois at Chicago Assistant Professor Thomas Searles, who founded the IBM-HBCU Quantum Center and currently leads a multi-year, multi-million dollar quantum engineering education consortium sponsored by the Department of Energy.

The two discussed their own journeys — Searles was a physics student at Morehouse College when Massey was president — and the importance of building academic programs at a variety of levels, including community colleges, and reaching out to young people.

One example of community outreach, Searles said, was Quantum Games Night, the Chicago Quantum Exchange, the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering’s STAGE Center and regional partners, hosted at Bowen High School on Chicago’s Southeast Side. immediately after the conclusion of the summit. . The event featured family games to teach community members about quantum technologies.

“I’m … honestly excited to be in a place like Chicago and be able to use this quantum and microelectronics park in Illinois as a beacon for young people to say, ‘Hey, I can have a way to really make a difference in my life and my community,’” Searles told the crowd hours before Quantum Games Night began. “I’m 41 years old, I may or may not ever see a (utility-scale) quantum computer. However, when you’re all at Game Night tonight, you might meet… a fourth grader or a fifth grader who will actually see this for real. So it’s important to be excited about it, it’s important to be real, but it’s also an opportunity.”

Ecosystem strengths

The Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park and the momentum of Chicagoland’s quantum ecosystem were frequent topics of discussion, with keynotes by Shadbolt, CEO of PsiQuantum, which will anchor the park; Altepeter; and Pritzker, whose $500 million budget allocation helped make the Illinois Microelectronics and Quantum Park possible. The Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park is the first park of its kind for quantum extension and related quantum and advanced microelectronics research and development.

“My level of excitement and commitment to … continuing our momentum cannot be overstated,” Pritzker said. “As governor, my priority is to promote growth and opportunity for our people. … This industry, this ecosystem, and the many causes that will benefit from it, have the potential to bring untold economic prosperity, tens of thousands of jobs and billions (of dollars) in private investment capital directly to our communities. Quantum will end up being one of the most transformative technologies ever developed.”

Kristi Dula, assistant director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, said support from the federal government has also been key to the region’s boost, noting that part of the $500 million investment helps match federal dollars.

“As I like to say, (federal support allows us) to make one plus one equal three,” she said during a panel where government leaders shared perspectives on commercialization efforts. “Because (the federal government’s) involvement is not just financial support, right? It’s the expertise and collaboration that makes for a better ecosystem and environment for the businesses that are here in the state.”

Searles sees the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park as potentially transformative both for the communities near the park and for the nation as a whole.

“Having the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (means) … having something where there’s black and brown and all the shades and all the colors … doing experiments and working at Proving Ground,” Searles said, referring to the state’s joint program with DARPA at the Park. “I think this will not only transform the field, but I hope it will actually have a profound impact on America.”

— Adapted from a article first posted by Chicago Quantum Exchange.