Quantum Businesses Forge Alliance

Quantum organizations operating in Australia have formed the Australian Quantum Alliance (AQA) to build the country’s quantum ecosystem. The AQA aims to jointly promote the country’s quantum development, advise policymakers on quantum industry growth, encourage corporate use of quantum technology and support local and global partnerships that benefit Australia’s quantum industry.  

The organization was established with the backing of the Tech Council of Australia, the leading voice of the country’s tech industry.  

Research by the Tech Council of Australia reveals that Australia has been successful at attracting global investment for quantum research and development. Australia’s global venture capital investment in the quantum industry (3.6%) is more than twice as large as its global GDP share (1.6%).

However, commercial investment in this sector has not kept pace, according to Tech Council CEO Kate Pounder.

“Australia is leading the world in quantum research. Now we need to lead in commercializing that research by creating, scaling and attracting world-leading quantum companies in Australia,” she said.

The Tech Council created the AQA to meet this challenge and to create a single industry group qualified to confer with governments on various policy issues confronting the sector.  The creation of the group necessitated a full year of collaboration between quantum industry stakeholders and the government.

Alliance members include Silicon Quantum Computing, Quintessence Labs, Q-CTRL, Quantum Brilliance, Diraq, Nomad Atomics and global companies including Google, Microsoft and Rigetti.

The AQA said it seeks to attract cutting-edge companies, restricting membership to “companies that make a significant contribution to the production or enablement of quantum technology.”  It added that AQA members aim to facilitate skilled migration where local skills shortages exist, offer informed input on critical technology regulation and provide expert guidance to the country’s proposed Critical Technologies Fund. 

Pounder said that the AQA will succeed if it helps to “ensure that Australia maintains its head start in the global quantum race.”