Canada’s quantum sector just got a big boost this week as more than 100 quantum projects are receiving nearly $80-million in combined federal funding.
Canada’s federally funded Digital Innovation Cluster (DIGITAL) is investing $4.7-million across three commercialization projects led by autonomous farming software company Verge Ag, cybersecurity maker Quantum Bridge Technologies, and quantum computing firm Xanadu. Meanwhile, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) is doling out $74-million in grants to support 107 quantum science research projects.
NSERC claims supported projects will help train more than 500 graduates and postdoctoral fellows.
The NSERC funding was announced at Québec’s Institut National de la recherche scientifique (INRS) this week, which is hosting eight of the funded projects. NSERC said in a statement that all awarded projects will support the development of quantum technologies in areas aligned with Canada’s National Quantum Strategy.
NSERC added that the investment will help Canadian researchers establish and grow international research collaborations through joint initiatives with France’s Agence nationale de la recherche and the United States’ National Science Foundation.
“This investment strengthens our leadership position in a field that is highly strategic for Quebec and will let us continue to advance the frontiers of science and innovation in the service of society,” INRS CEO Luc-Alain Giraldeau said in a statement.
NSERC claimed the supported projects will help train more than 500 graduates and postdoctoral fellows at post-secondary institutions across Canada.
Meanwhile, DIGITAL’s $4.7-million co-investment across three projects is supported by an additional $7.3 million in private partner contributions.
The Quantum-Safe Critical Infrastructure Protection project from Toronto-based project leader Quantum Bridge is receiving $1.2-million from DIGITAL to commercialize a hardware and software cryptography solution that the company claims can withstand the attacks from quantum computing systems.
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Earlier this month, Quantum Bridge announced it officially met the standards of the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cryptographic Algorithm Validation Program, verifying that Quantum Bridge offers clients encryption that protects against cyberattacks using quantum computers.
The Optimizing Agricultural Operations with Quantum Computing project from Verge Ag, with collaboration from D-Wave, is receiving $1.9-million from DIGITAL to model and simulate agricultural scenarios to help organizations and growers with real-time decision-making.
After responding to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s quantum-skeptical remarks earlier this month, the formerly British Columbia-based D-Wave announced its new Leap Quantum LaunchPad program, an initiative designed to accelerate the deployment of quantum computing applications.
Finally, the Compilation Open DEsign (CODE) project from Xanadu is aiming to enable open-source access to discover new uses for quantum technologies with its $1.6-million DIGITAL contribution. This week, Xanadu claimed it figured out how to network quantum computers together, potentially solving one of the key challenges facing the industry.
Feature image courtesy INRS.