ANNAPOLIS, MD—In a move to solidify Maryland’s position as a leader in quantum information science, Governor Wes Moore has signed a memorandum of agreement with the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The agreement establishes the “Capital of Quantum Benchmarking Hub,” a collaborative effort between state and federal entities to advance quantum research and development.
The hub, physically located at the University of Maryland’s Discovery District, will receive up to $100 million in federal funding over four years, matching the state’s investments in quantum computing. This significant funding aims to attract private sector investment and further bolster Maryland’s quantum industry.
“This new collaboration with DARPA is about leveraging Maryland’s world-class assets to grow our economy, create jobs, and enhance our national security,” said Governor Moore at the announcement at the University of Maryland Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS).
The partnership builds upon Governor Moore’s Capital of Quantum Initiative, launched in January, a public-private partnership with the University of Maryland, College Park, and IonQ. This initiative seeks to attract over $1 billion in investments to the state’s quantum sector.
The hub will be utilized by DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI), which aims to evaluate and validate commercial quantum computing systems. “As part of QBI, we are building the world’s largest and most qualified independent quantum computing test and evaluation team, so that we can rigorously test commercial approaches to determine what’s viable and what’s hype,” explained Joe Altepeter, DARPA Quantum Benchmarking Initiative program manager. “The Capital Quantum Benchmarking Hub will provide an additional research and testing facility for our experts to evaluate plans and systems of the quantum computing companies that progress through the QBI program,” he added.
The agreement signifies a concerted effort by Maryland and DARPA to cultivate a robust quantum ecosystem, fostering innovation and potentially delivering transformative technologies for national security and economic growth.
This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.
Photo via the Maryland Governor’s Office
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