A new report from the Commission on U.S. Quantum Primacy warns that American strengths in quantum research and software will not guarantee leadership in manufacturing and deployment. Co-chairs U.S. Sen. Todd Young, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, and Ylli Bajraktari are urging sustained investment to translate quantum discovery into a national advantage, particularly as China actively builds infrastructure for quantum networking.

“Leadership in quantum will not be decided by who publishes the most papers or reaches a single milestone first,” says Bajraktari, “It will be decided by who turns quantum discoveries into deployed, manufactured, trusted capabilities.”

Commission Defines U.S. Quantum Primacy as Sustained Capability

The Commission on U.S. This definition, released by the group co-chaired by U.S. Sen. Todd Young, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, and Ylli Bajraktari, moves beyond simply excelling in research to emphasize practical application and manufacturing prowess. The Commission’s framework prioritizes translating scientific breakthroughs into tangible advantages for national security, technological innovation and economic competitiveness, acknowledging that sustained leadership requires more than just initial innovation.

This focus on a complete capability from start to finish is a deliberate departure from metrics centered solely on research output or isolated achievements. A key concern highlighted in the report is the accelerating progress of China, specifically in quantum networking infrastructure.

While the U.S. This shift, coupled with potential supply chain and manufacturing advantages, could allow China to rapidly scale quantum innovation, potentially surpassing the United States in the critical area of deployment. “America’s quantum science is the envy of the world, but discoveries in the lab only matter if they reach the field, the factory, and the warfighter,” said Young, emphasising the urgency of translating research into real-world applications. The report also cautions that existing strengths in U.S. research, software development, and private investment are not guarantees of future leadership.

This assessment challenges the prevailing narrative that continued investment in these areas alone will secure U.S. quantum primacy. Instead, the report advocates for a coordinated national program, potentially modeled on the Exascale Computing Project, to co-develop both quantum software and hardware. It calls for a NIST-led effort to establish public-private benchmarks and ensure interoperability across different quantum systems. “Quantum has the potential to transform everything from navigation and health care to the security of our digital infrastructure,” added Luján, emphasizing the broad societal impact of prioritizing quantum development and the need for bipartisan support.