In Labor Day address, state officials tout ‘bold, new era’ for quantum in New Mexico

Zach Yerushalmi believes breakthroughs in quantum technology depend on cooperation between scientists, business people, investors, policymakers and the public.

“So the question is, how do we tell a story that resonates across all of these groups, that inspires all of these groups, bringing them along without alienating any particular one of them?” Yerushalmi said.

The Elevate Quantum CEO kicked off a series of keynote speeches Monday at the Albuquerque Convention Center for this year’s Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Quantum Week conference. Yerushalmi said the industry needs broad, durable support to address technical and commercial challenges.

Rob Black, Economic Development Department secretary, said New Mexico is entering a “bold, new era” with the development of quantum technologies that have “unlimited potential.” In overcoming the challenges, however, he said it requires vision and leadership.

Nodding to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who supported and signed legislation creating the EDD’s Technology and Innovation Office this year, Black said the $90 million put into funding the office is being invested to accelerate innovation, scientific discovery connection, grant creation and partnership support.

Yerushalmi’s speech comes just one week after the EDD awarded $25 million to Albuquerque-based Roadrunner Venture Studios as part of a new state-funded quantum innovation and commercialization project. The studio will lead a coalition of quantum researchers, funders and innovators from Elevate Quantum, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the University of New Mexico and others, in building a campus Downtown aimed at drawing in quantum-oriented startups.

“We’re making exciting and bold investments in quantum and our future,” Black said. “These investments will bring high-paying jobs, new businesses and the world’s best talent to our state. None of this happens without leaders with the ability to lay out a vision and execute it.”

Indeed, the advancement in quantum technology, and in particular, quantum computing, could be a boon for New Mexico as companies in the space are bringing operations to the state to be closer to the national labs and research happening at public universities, like UNM.

In July, Colorado-based Quantinuum detailed its plans for a research and development facility it is building in Albuquerque. Mesa Quantum, also out of Colorado, in April said it plans to come to New Mexico for at least two years to develop the laser systems integral to quantum sensing applications — part of an inaugural state grant aimed at bringing quantum companies to the Land of Enchantment.

Elevate Quantum itself is the result of more than $40 million in federal funding aimed at making New Mexico and Colorado the center of quantum development. Elevate Quantum’s Quantum Moonshot initiative was also named a semifinalist in July in the National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines program. If it wins an award, which will be announced early next year, New Mexico could obtain $15 million in funding over two years and up to $160 million over 10 years to make breakthroughs in and commercialize quantum navigation, sensing and computing technologies.

Joining Yerushalmi on stage, Lujan Grisham said New Mexico has long been recognized as “the place” where all levels of science flourish. Hosting an event like Quantum Week reiterates to state lawmakers that New Mexico is the birthplace of advanced technology and where it will be expanded.

“For a small state that often, in federal poverty levels, is identified as one of the poorer states, that in fact doesn’t translate to the amount of investing power we have,” Lujan Grisham said.

She said New Mexico touts one of the largest sovereign wealth funds — managed by the State Investment Council — in the world at $65 billion, adding that in the next 10 years, it could amount to $100 billion.

“(This) should be a signal to the rest of the country, and I hope to you, that this is the place where this technology is going to get more support and has had more success and opportunity than anywhere else in this country,” she said.

Yerushalmi acknowledged Monday that some aspects of quantum, like computing, are not yet widely available. But with the right support, and with New Mexico playing a key role, that might not be far away.

“Even though quantum systems are placed and used worldwide, the revenue is still measured in billion-dollar decimal points — that is not a failure. It’s simply the stage we’re at,” Yerushalmi said. “But it does mean that if we don’t get the story right, we risk losing the support we need to see this through.”