Microsoft Forms Northwest Quantum Nexus With With PNNL, University of Washington

Microsoft has teamed up with the University of Washington and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to establish a coalition that will advance quantum information science to create and sustain a quantum workforce and economy in the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S. and Canada.

The formation of the Northwest Quantum Nexus seeks to support the objectives of the National Quantum Initiative Act and facilitate collaboration among government, industry and academia to pursue QIS research, Microsoft said Monday.

“The Northwest Quantum Nexus represents another big step toward the development of scalable, stable quantum computers,” said Todd Holmdahl, corporate vice president of Microsoft Quantum.

“The partnership just makes a lot of sense – we’re already one of the top regions in the world for quantum research, and the Nexus will help us leverage that expertise to build a quantum-ready workforce and boost the region and nation’s quantum ecosystem,” Holmdahl added.

The coalition will pursue quantum computing through collaborative research and development, development of quantum materials and targeted quantum algorithms; capitalize on public-private partnerships to drive quantum tech discoveries; and apply research outcomes to testbeds and application areas.