Assembly Bill 940 is driving a coordinated push to establish California as a global leader in quantum technology, as evidenced by the Quantum San Diego Convening held this week at the Qualcomm Institute at UC San Diego. The two-day gathering brought together approximately 200 leaders from industry, academia, and government to address the critical challenge of scaling quantum technologies, building on earlier meetings at UC Berkeley and UC Santa Barbara. Organizers from the Qualcomm Institute, HPE Quantum, and Quantum Machines aimed to align priorities across the state’s growing quantum ecosystem. “California’s quantum leadership depends on the strength of the ecosystem we build around it,” said Dee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor to Governor Newsom and Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, emphasizing the state’s commitment to moving quantum technologies toward commercialization.
Quantum California Initiative Drives Statewide Roadmap
Organizers specifically targeted the challenge of scaling as the primary hurdle to widespread adoption and practical application. UC San Diego Qualcomm Institute Director Ramesh Rao emphasized the significance of the San Diego region, noting its expertise in radio frequency engineering and electromagnetics, areas that will be critical for scaling quantum technology. The convening also facilitated progress through initiatives like the Quantum Scaling Alliance, which addresses the complex system-level challenges inherent in transitioning quantum computing from research to deployable systems; Itamar Sivan, CEO and Co-founder of Quantum Machines, explained that scaling quantum systems is a system-level challenge that spans hardware, control and infrastructure.
San Diego Convening Focuses on Quantum Scaling
The pursuit of viable quantum computers increasingly centers on the practical hurdles of scaling technology beyond isolated laboratory demonstrations. Approximately 200 participants engaged in focused discussions aimed at transitioning quantum computing from proof-of-concept research to deployable systems. A key focus of the San Diego convening was addressing system-level challenges inherent in scaling quantum technologies, encompassing hardware, control mechanisms, and necessary infrastructure. The Quantum Scaling Alliance, a collaborative initiative, emerged as a central platform for tackling this integration, and the event served as a crucial step in aligning the broader ecosystem around shared priorities. UC San Diego’s particular strengths in radio frequency engineering and electromagnetics were highlighted as critical for future advancements. The convening directly informed state-level policy and funding decisions. Riley Need, a UC San Diego Qualcomm Institute Research Specialist, added that California has the depth of research, industry presence and innovation infrastructure needed to lead in quantum technologies, suggesting that coordinated action is now the primary need.
California’s quantum leadership depends on the strength of the ecosystem we build around it, and events like this help bring together the researchers, companies, investors and public-sector partners needed to move quantum technologies from breakthrough science to commercialization.
Dee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor to Governor Newsom and Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development
This focus was central to the Quantum San Diego Convening, a two-day event organized in partnership with HPE Quantum and Quantum Machines, and designed to align California’s diverse quantum ecosystem. A key outcome of the San Diego gathering was the advancement of the Quantum Scaling Alliance, a collaborative effort specifically targeting the complex integration required to build deployable quantum systems.
California has the depth of research, industry presence and innovation infrastructure needed to lead in quantum technologies.
Riley Need, UC San Diego Qualcomm Institute Research Specialist
