White House to Convene Quantum Industry Summit as Administration Pushes Innovation Agenda
Insider Brief
- The White House will host a July 7 summit with U.S. quantum industry representatives to discuss the Trump administration’s quantum innovation agenda.
- Senior officials from OSTP, the National Quantum Coordination Office, Commerce, Defense, Energy, NSF and the U.S. CTO’s office are scheduled to participate.
- The summit follows two Trump executive orders focused on strengthening quantum research and development and accelerating post-quantum cryptography adoption.
- Image: Photo by Soly Moses on Pexels
The White House is set to bring together government leaders and representatives of the U.S. quantum industry on Tuesday for a summit focused on advancing quantum information science and technology, according to NextGov.
The White House Summit on Quantum Innovation is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, according to a document obtained by NextGov/FCW. The event comes shortly after President Donald Trump signed two executive orders intended to strengthen the nation’s quantum research ecosystem and accelerate the transition of critical government and infrastructure networks to post-quantum cryptography.
According to NextGov, the summit will feature senior officials from across the administration outlining the government’s strategy for advancing quantum research, workforce development and industrial competitiveness.
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios and National Quantum Coordination Office Director Brad Blakestand are expected to deliver a keynote address providing updates on the administration’s quantum agenda and research and development priorities, according to the publication.
Senior Officials to Outline Agency Efforts
The agenda also includes a panel featuring leaders from several federal agencies involved in quantum technology research and commercialization.
According to NextGov, scheduled participants include Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Paul Dabbar, Department of Defense Under Secretary for Research Emil Michael, Department of Energy Under Secretary Darío Gil, National Science Foundation Acting Director Brian Stone and U.S. Chief Technology Officer Ethan Klein.
The officials are expected to discuss how their agencies are implementing commitments to expand U.S. capabilities in quantum information science and technology.
Quantum technologies exploit the properties of quantum mechanics to perform computing, communications and sensing tasks that may be difficult or impossible for conventional technologies. While large-scale quantum computers remain under development, governments worldwide have increased investments in the field because of its potential implications for national security, scientific research and economic competitiveness.
Industry Focus
According to NextGov, attendees will primarily represent the U.S. quantum information science and technology industry.
Additional panel discussions are expected to address industry perspectives, supply chains and workforce development. As of late Monday afternoon, however, speakers for those sessions were still listed as “TBA” in the agenda obtained by the publication.
The meeting reflects the administration’s effort to strengthen collaboration between federal agencies and the private sector as quantum technologies move closer to commercial deployment.
Executive Orders Set The Stage
The summit follows two recent executive orders issued by Trump that target different aspects of the nation’s quantum strategy.
One order seeks to reinforce the U.S. quantum research and development ecosystem, while the other aims to speed adoption of post-quantum cryptography across critical networks. Post-quantum cryptography refers to new encryption methods designed to remain secure against future quantum computers, which are expected to eventually be capable of breaking some of today’s widely used encryption systems.
The timing of the summit — so close to the issuing of those orders — suggests the administration is moving quickly to translate those policy directives into agency action while engaging industry on research priorities, workforce needs and the supply chains needed to support a growing domestic quantum sector.
According to NextGov, the event is expected to serve as a forum for administration officials to present their quantum priorities while gathering input from companies working across the emerging quantum ecosystem.