The Canadian government supports Xanadu, a leading company in photonic quantum computing, with a $3.75 million CAD investment. The funding, provided through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) and the Regional Quantum Initiative (RQI), will accelerate the development of PennyLane, Xanadu’s open-source, cloud-based software for quantum machine learning and computing. The investment aims to advance quantum technology, create 22 new jobs, and strengthen Canada’s position as a global leader in the quantum field. Xanadu’s CEO, Christian Weedbrook, expressed excitement over the support to further their quantum technology and community.
Government of Canada Funds Xanadu’s Quantum Computing Research
The Canadian government, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), has granted a repayable contribution to Xanadu, a company specializing in photonic quantum computing. This funding is part of the Regional Quantum Initiative (RQI) and is aimed at accelerating the development of Xanadu’s quantum software, PennyLane. The software is an open-source, cloud-based framework for quantum machine learning, quantum chemistry, and quantum computing.
The funding will help Xanadu to advance and commercialize their quantum products. The Canadian government’s support is aimed at accelerating the development of quantum technologies and bringing them to market faster. This move is expected to strengthen Canada’s position in the global quantum technology sector and boost economic growth.
Quantum Computing in Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is home to several high-potential quantum companies and world-leading research centers. The region is well-positioned for quantum breakthroughs, and the government’s support is expected to expedite the commercialization of these technologies. The funding will also help create jobs and support made-in-Canada technologies that could significantly impact industries such as computing, communications, security, and healthcare.
The future of quantum computing hinges on achieving fault-tolerant quantum computation (FTQC). Significant progress has been made in this field, and the funding will help ensure that FTQC is achieved by supporting the training of a future quantum workforce.
Xanadu’s Mission and Quantum Education
Since its inception in 2016, Xanadu has been committed to making quantum computers useful and accessible to people everywhere. A key part of this mission is providing access to top-tier quantum education to help build the future quantum workforce. To this end, Xanadu has collaborated with numerous universities across Canada and globally to create custom educational programs. The company has also established a dedicated quantum community team that organizes educational events, creates free educational materials, and engages directly with the community.
Canada’s National Quantum Strategy
In January 2023, the Government of Canada launched its National Quantum Strategy, underpinned by three pillars: research, talent, and commercialization. FedDev Ontario is one of the regional development agencies focused on supporting high-potential quantum projects and scaling promising Canadian companies.
As part of the RQI, Xanadu is receiving a repayable investment of $3.75 million to accelerate the development of its core quantum software, PennyLane. This funding is expected to create 22 new quantum jobs, further strengthening Canada’s quantum workforce. The project’s objectives include advancing the operating infrastructure to provide a broader cloud offering, increasing community support, and creating more user engagement materials.
Quantum Programming with Xanadu and PennyLane
Xanadu is a quantum computing company founded in 2016 with the mission to build quantum computers that are useful and accessible to people everywhere. The company leads the development of PennyLane, an open-source software library for quantum computing and application development. PennyLane is a software framework for quantum machine learning, quantum chemistry, and quantum computing, capable of running on all hardware.
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