A deep dive into Quantum with Celia Merzbacher, Executive Director, QED-C
The excitement is building as the clocks tick closer and closer to April 24 kickstarting three action packed days of discussions, presentations and networking at Quantum.Tech USA. Ahead of speaking at the showcase in Washington D.C., we sat down with Celia Merzbacher, Executive Director at QED-C about her role within QED-C, what QED-C stands for, when most importantly, when quantum can expect to have its chat gpt moment.
Can you briefly give us an introduction to yourself and your role at QED-C?
I am Executive Director of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium, or QED-C, which is an industry-driven consortium of stakeholders with the mission to enable and grow the quantum industry and supply chain. Today we have about 260 members, including companies, universities, government laboratories and others, and most of roughly 175 corporate members are small to mid-size companies. We also partner with government agencies that have a role in nurturing the fledgling quantum industry. At QED-C, I work to help members to succeed by identifying and removing barriers to progress—in technology, in workforce development, in standards and metrics, and in policies. Quantum technologies are emerging and there are challenges in all of these areas that must be overcome. Together we can move faster toward the goal of creating the quantum-enabled future.
What do you consider your biggest professional achievement to date?
I would say launching QED-C. It is the culmination of all the jobs I had along the way. I helped shape the National Nanotechnology Initiative, which was a forerunner of the National Quantum Initiative, and I was part of the Semiconductor Research Corporation, a consortium that helped to address technology needs for another critical, if more mature, technology. It has been immensely gratifying to see the QED-C trusted community come into being and to help it be able to overcome challenges that face the industry.
It is a pleasure for Quantum.Tech to be partnering with QED-C this year and continuing the excellent work. What are you excited about the most with this partnership?
We are excited to partner with Quantum.Tech and to welcome the quantum community to Washington DC. Given the strong interest across the US government—and among QED-C members— in promoting and protecting quantum technologies in partnership with other governments and with the growing global quantum industry, it is an ideal forum to bring all of the stakeholders together.
What do you believe the top 3 priorities should be this year for the quantum industry?
- Identify impactful use cases and develop practical applications. There have been many advances being made in quantum science. Building a business means taking those advances and incorporating them into products that solve real-world problems.
- Encourage like-minded nations and regions to collaborate in support of policies that promote and protect quantum technologies. Quantum innovation is taking place globally, and supply chains and markets are global. To accelerate the development of quantum technologies for economic and societal benefits, allies and partners need to collaborate. At the same time, there are threats, for example the threat posed by a sufficiently powerful quantum computer to break current encryption standards. Establishing and deploying new standards that protect IT systems critical to global trade and critical infrastructure requires the public and private sectors to work together.
- Enhance the talent pool—through education at all levels (pre-college to mid-career upskilling) and reduced barriers to mobility/immigration. The quantum ecosystem needs workers with many different skills and expertise in many disciplines. There are jobs for researchers with PhDs, but also for technicians, software engineers, and sales and business experts. QED-C has programs to connect people with opportunities and to help those starting their career to learn about pathways to get into this new and dynamic industry.
Download the Agenda:
Celia Merzbacher is one of 80+ quantum experts who will be showcasing the advancements and exciting work being done in the quantum industry and what there is to look forward to.
What are the challenges you are seeing in quantum adoption at an enterprise level in 2024?
The technology is still in development and therefore the clear business advantage of a quantum-enabled product has yet to be demonstrated in most cases. Markets for new technologies often follow a pattern of slow growth initially but then accelerate as the capabilities and therefore useful applications start to proliferate.
What are the most exciting quantum applications you are seeing coming through?
Today, quantum sensing applications are among the most promising applications in the near term—in fields from geophysical research to biomedical imaging. Over the long term, quantum computing has the potential to impact our lives broadly, similar to how traditional computing has.
When do you think quantum will have it ‘chat gpt’ moment?
It could be within 10 years. It will require advances in manufacturing, scaling up technologies and error correction to deal with the inherent noisiness of quantum bits. And it may be less like chat gpt and more like lasers (which are quantum-enabled, by the way!) and computer chips.
Where do you stand in the debate between NISQ and Fault Tolerant Quantum Computing?
Ultimately, fault tolerant quantum computing will be essential to opening the floodgates of applications. NISQ applications could be helpful in demonstrating that ultimate potential and in identifying certain use cases of significant value.
How do you see the talent pool growing in quantum; what is QED-C doing to drive new talent?
The US National Quantum Initiative is just 5 years old, so it is only now starting to produce graduates who have been supported by the program. That pipeline will grow over time. At the moment, demand is outpacing supply and there are opportunities for those who are early or mid-career scientists and engineers to pivot into the field. QED-C has reported on the diversity of skills and jobs in the industry—most positions do not require a PhD in physics. There are many openings for engineers, software developers, skilled technicians, and technical salespeople. QED-C has a jobs board on its website and offers online “office hours” where students can get mentoring from those in the industry.
What work is QED-C doing to drive diversity in quantum?
We strive to be inclusive in all our activities. It is a core value. We also are working with minority serving institutions in the United States to better understand the barriers to underrepresented groups as they navigate STEM education and careers. QED-C is about to publish a report that highlights some of the barriers to these institutions in addition to adequate funding, such as capacity building, external partnership development, curriculum development, engaging students and connecting them to career opportunities, faculty engagement, and greater awareness of the field of quantum information science and technology.
If you are interested in partnering or working more closely with QED-C what should one do?
The QED-C website is a great place to start. There you can see our public reports and subscribe to our newsletter. Those interested in becoming a member can request an application as well. My team and I are happy to connect and to provide more details about the benefits of becoming part of the QED-C community. Those interested should also come to Quantum.Tech in Washington DC on April 24 – 26. I will be speaking, and it is a great place to meet members of the broader quantum community.
Hear from Celia Merzbacher at Quantum.Tech USA:
Celia will also be headlining the QED-C showcase (Stream A) on the afternoon of April 26 where we curated part of the programme focused on end user enterprises. During these sessions, you’ll hear from BP, Boeing, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon BBN.
Don’t miss your chance to hear from Celia in person this April in Washington D.C. Register your place here today and save your seat to be one of 400 quantum leads at Quantum.Tech USA.