AS GLOBAL RACE TO ADVANCE QUANTUM COMPUTING ACCELERATES, SCHUMER BACKS SUNY PLANNED BID TO BE NAMED ONE OF NEW NATIONAL CENTERS FOR QUANTUM COMPUTING, CREATING NEW ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES & GOOD PAYING JOBS; SENATOR SAYS EXISTING CAPABILITIES AT SUNY POLY & ROME LAB’S QUANTUM COMPUTING CENTER OF EXCELLENCE POSITION REGION & STATE TO BE LEADERS IN QUANTUM TECH BREAKTHROUGHS
Following Recently Passed National Quantum Initiative Act, Feds To Establish Several New National Quantum Science Research And Education Centers; Will Give U.S. National Master Plan To Advance Quantum Information Science; New Law Will Accelerate R&D, Hire & Train New High-Tech Workforce & Give U.S. Companies Competitive Advantage Over Competitors In China & Europe
SUNY Ecosystem Is Currently Conducting Transformational Research In Quantum Science, With SUNY Poly, Rome Lab & Partners Leading The Charge; Senator Says This Positions Region & State To Compete In New Fed Process To Name National Centers Of Quantum Information Science
Schumer: SUNY Poly-Rome Lab Partnership Could Make Quantum Leap In Computing Science’s Next Frontier & Create Good Paying Jobs In Mohawk Valley & NY
Standing at the Griffiss Institute, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today detailed the many investments in research capabilities in the Mohawk Valley, at SUNY Poly and the Quantum Computing Center of Excellence at the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate (Rome Lab), all enhance New York State’s competitiveness to capture emerging opportunities in quantum information science (QIS). Specifically, Schumer threw his support behind SUNY’s planned bid to be named one of several new “National Centers of Quantum Science Research and Education” that were spurred by the recently-passed National Quantum Initiative Act.
Schumer said that the global efforts to develop QIS is the scientific race of the 21st century and has immense economic and national security implications for the U.S. – and potentially for the Mohawk Valley. Last year, Congress passed the National Quantum Initiative Act to coordinate a national strategy to accelerate public and private research and development of QIS and develop a high-tech workforce for the future. Schumer explained that this legislation, which he supported in Congress, aims to bring a coordinated approach to the federal government’s support of quantum information science (QIS) and establish a National Quantum Coordination Office to ensure ongoing federal, academic, and private sector research and development work together to accelerate QIS. It also creates several new “National Quantum Information Science Research and Education Centers” to lead the charge. While fully-functioning quantum computers are years away, experts say once fully developed their power could perform at speeds millions of times faster than today’s most advanced machines and transform industries across nearly every sector of the economy, which is why places like China and Europe continue to invest billions to win the race to develop this technology.
Schumer said that he was proud to pledge his full support behind SUNY’s future proposal given its existing QIS ecosystem, educational partnership with Rome Lab’s Quantum Computing Center of Excellence, and its many other partners. This strong combination of existing institutional knowledge and extensive partnerships will undoubtedly help the region and state capture emerging opportunities as the federal government develops its national master plan, including the new National Centers of Quantum Science Research and Education. SUNY’s leading research campuses at Binghamton University, University at Buffalo, University at Albany, Stony Brook University, and SUNY Polytechnic Institute are currently conducting transformational research in quantum science and engineering. Collectively they are working to create a quantum-smart ecosystem that will fuel the scientific breakthroughs and develop a workforce of tomorrow. Schumer said the most critical part of this ecosystem is right here in the Mohawk Valley with SUNY Poly’s partnerships with the Quantum Computing Center of Excellence at the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate (Rome Lab), which he was instrumental in establishing. This partnership allows these two Mohawk Valley assets to exchange talent, cross-access R&D facilities and develop a quantum-smart workforce in Upstate New York. Therefore Schumer vowed to work side-by-side with SUNY officials as they prepare to apply to be designated one of the new “National Quantum Information Science Research and Education Centers.”
“The devastating impacts of falling behind international competitors like China and Europe in the field of quantum computing are wide-ranging and severe – from economic growth to the strength of our national security. The race towards innovation in quantum computing is the great scientific race of the 21st century, which is why I made it a priority last year to pass the National Quantum Initiative Act in Congress, and why I will continue to fight to increase Rome Lab’s budget for quantum computing research each and every year,” said Senator Schumer. “Among other things, this key legislation allows for the federal government to establish several National Centers of Quantum Science Research and Education, and today, I’m telling the feds that I can think of no better place than right here in New York State and in the Mohawk Valley. SUNY’s world-renowned research campuses – particularly SUNY Poly’s partnership with Rome Lab’s Quantum Computing Center of Excellence, which I am proud of my role in establishing – are poised to make a quantum leap in computing science’s next frontier and make it the perfect fit for one of new these centers.”
Schumer said that while each of the research campuses plays a fundamental role in SUNY’s planned bid to become one of the “National Quantum Information Science Research and Education Centers,” SUNY Poly and its partnership with the Schumer backed Quantum Computing Center of Excellence at Rome Lab would be the cornerstone of the plan. Recognizing the importance of innovation in quantum computing, Schumer fought for increases in the Rome Lab’s budget specifically to launch the Quantum Computing Center of Excellence. In Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019, Schumer secured over $13 million dollars for Rome Lab to establish critical components of Quantum Computing Center of Excellence. Rome Lab aims to use the funding to create an “open campus” ecosystem where researchers from the Air Force, Department of Defense (DOD), government, industry, small business community, and academia can collaborate to solve different computing problems using quantum computing technology. Schumer continued that SUNY Poly’s partnership with Rome Lab’s existing quantum research capabilities are critical to capturing new federal opportunities.
###
