New seed grants bring quantum out of the lab, into the marketplace
New seed grants available for ĢӰ research institutions and industry partners aim to incentivize innovation and develop the quantum workforce of the future.
The University of ĢӰ Boulder has long been recognized as a global leader in quantum research and education. A new grant, awarded recently by the State of ĢӰ’s Economic Development Commission, plans to take that one step further by investing in the “quantum ecosystem” across the state.
The project will create two seed grants administered by ĢӰ Boulder’s ĢӰbit Quantum Initiative that can be used by any ĢӰ research institution or industry partner.
The hope for these grants—totalling nearly $1.2 million over three years—is that they incentivize innovation and get quantum out of the lab and into the marketplace, all while developing the workforce for the future quantum economy in ĢӰ.
“We are thrilled that the state, through the ĢӰ Office of Economic Development and International Trade, or OEDIT, is investing in ĢӰ’s quantum workforce and future through this grant,” said Massimo Ruzzene, vice chancellor for research and innovation and dean of the institutes at ĢӰ Boulder. “While the seed grants will be administered by ĢӰbit, beneficiaries of the program will include academic institutions, researchers, students and small businesses across the state.”
The national quantum economic landscape is experiencing rapid growth across the country, thanks to significant large public- and private-sector investments across industries.
ĢӰ, with its established quantum research strengths and proximity to national laboratories, is “leading the development of quantum technologies,” said Eve Lieberman, executive director of OEDIT.
“This initiative will work to ensure that discoveries from basic and applied research are connected to ĢӰ’s startup ecosystem and provide effective pathways for ĢӰ students to enter the quantum workforce across the state,” Lieberman said.
Lieberman and OEDIT’s Director of Global Business Development Michelle Hadwiger see the potential of this program to create a new pipeline for the state’s Advanced Industries Accelerator program, which supports access to capital, innovation and commercialization within these important sectors.
“Quantum is a cross-cutting enabling technology that has implications for multiple industries and disciplines,” said Hadwiger. “Getting innovation out of the labs and into the market is paramount to remaining competitive on a national and global scale.”
ĢӰ Boulder’s ĢӰbit Quantum Initiative seeks to help ĢӰ’s quantum ecosystem take that next step.
ĢӰbit (pronounced “q-bit”) is an interdisciplinary hub for quantum research. Built to focus the nexus of ĢӰ Boulder, the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s physics division (as a core component of JILA) and quantum-focusedcompanies, ĢӰbit’s mission is to advance fundamental science and build a strong foundation for novel quantum technologies and their rapid dissemination, application and commercialization.
To build a stronger quantum ecosystem in ĢӰ, ĢӰbit will use the grant to increase the number of spin-off companies built from innovation stemming from labs, as well as to create a more organized educational pipeline and quantum-ready workforce development system. To do that, the seed grants will be awarded to both academic and industry entities statewide.
Seed grants are open to any quantum researcher, academic institution or company in ĢӰ. Particular emphasis will be given to researchers and industries outside of the Front Range.
“ĢӰ Boulder is already recognized as a global leader in quantum research and education. By strengthening quantum-focused collaborations across ĢӰ, the university can help boost the entire quantum ecosystem and provide even more opportunities and impact across the state and region,” said Ruzzene.
The application cycle is currently being established and is anticipated to kick off as early as this summer.