Microsoft Moves Australian Quantum Operation to US

Microsoft has pulled its quantum computing quantum operations out of Australia and shut down its quantum research facility at the University of Sydney after a seven-year partnership.

The company plans to relocate its quantum research and commercialization efforts to its Redmond, Washington, headquarters.

The University of Sydney signed a multi-year partnership with Microsoft in 2017 to create an Australian quantum research hub based at the $150 million Sydney Nanoscience Hub.

The university said team members were offered a package to relocate to Redmond but most plan to continue their research in Australia separately from Microsoft.

This includes professor David Reilly, a joint employee of the university and Microsoft, who in 2021 led a team that developed a chip to control a large number of qubits.

Microsoft said in a statement provided to Enter Quantum: “Organizational and workforce adjustments are a necessary and regular part of managing our business. We will continue to prioritize and invest in strategic growth areas for our future and in support of our customers and partners. 

“We recently made the decision to close our quantum facility at the University of Sydney as part of an ongoing consolidation of our quantum engineering resources as we accelerate the move from research to productization. The work that the team previously did in Sydney will move to the core team who are leading our quantum efforts globally.

Related:Australia Invests $617M for ‘Useful’ Quantum Computer

“Microsoft is and remains committed to quantum computing and the application of quantum technology to tackle the world’s hardest problems.” 

Australia has been making great strides in quantum research and development. The country published its national quantum strategy in May 2023. In April 2024, Australian authorities awarded PsiQuantum $617 million to build what could be the world’s first fault-resistant, utility-scale quantum computer at a “strategically located site” near Brisbane Airport.