Insider Brief
- The U.S. quantum industry is pushing for the reauthorization of the National Quantum Initiative Act and the appointment of a “quantum czar” to coordinate federal efforts.
- Paul Stimers of the Quantum Industry Coalition told Politico that government support remains crucial as quantum moves from basic research to commercialization.
- Industry leaders advocate for federal agencies to integrate quantum technology into their missions while allowing market forces to determine the best approaches.
The U.S. quantum industry wants stronger federal backing to maintain its competitive edge and sees a government-wide push as key to advancing the technology. That includes reauthorizing the National Quantum Initiative (NQI) Act and potentially appointing a “quantum czar” to coordinate efforts across agencies.
Paul Stimers, executive director of the Quantum Industry Coalition, which represents major players like Google, IBM, Quantinuum, and Microsoft, told Digital Future Daily, a Politico newsletter, recently that ongoing federal support remains critical as quantum technology moves beyond basic research and into real-world applications. He noted growing debates in both commercial and policy circles over how the government should support quantum’s development without distorting the market.
Federal Support and Policy Priorities
Stimers said the industry’s top priority is reauthorizing the NQI Act, first signed into law in 2018, which provided funding for fundamental quantum research. While basic research remains essential, Stimers said that the next step is ensuring that quantum technology is integrated into government operations.
“And there’s an ongoing and pretty significant debate about how best to do federal support of commercialization and translational research,” Stimers told Politico. “We want to be sure that we’re gaining the economic value of the research that we produce, but we also want to avoid picking winners and losers in the marketplace and placing big bets on specific applications that may or may not pan out.”
The House Science Committee advanced a reauthorization bill last Congress, and Stimers said the industry expects the Senate Commerce Committee and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to follow suit. In early February, it was reported that the U.S. Senate is advancing a bipartisan bill, the DOE Quantum Leadership Act of 2025, to expand quantum research with over $2.5 billion.
The coalition also advocates for a “quantum czar” who would act as a champion for the industry across government.
“The quantum czar is something that the president can do on his own,” Stimers said. “This would be more of an outside-facing, rest-of-government-facing position. It doesn’t have to be official. It can be relatively informal but would have the role of helping get the entire federal government on board with quantum.”
Political Landscape and Support
Stimers indicated confidence that the government will continue prioritizing quantum development. While he noted that he is not in direct contact with the President, he pointed to bipartisan recognition of quantum’s strategic importance.
“I’m not in a position to say one way or another what we’re hearing from the people I write to,” Stimers said, as reported by Politico. “But what we can say publicly is that we’re pleased with the level of attention that quantum has already gotten from this administration and leaders in this Congress.”
He also identified key figures in the administration who could help push quantum efforts forward, including National Security Advisor Tim Waltz, who he said is likely to promote quantum because of its use in potential military applications. Stimers noted that quantum computing, sensors and networking have broad support as national security priorities, on par with artificial intelligence and hypersonics.
“I have heard no serious suggestion for becoming second [to China] on quantum technology,” Stimers said. “Everybody readily understands that quantum computing, quantum clocks and sensors, quantum networking, quantum communication and post-quantum cryptography are critically important from a national security perspective.”
The Debate Over Government’s Role
One of the challenges in quantum policy is determining how much direct intervention the government should have in picking winners and losers. Stimers said that rather than placing large bets on specific applications, the government should focus on ensuring that federal agencies integrate quantum technology into their missions. He pointed to the NQI reauthorization bill’s provisions requiring agencies like the Department of Agriculture and the NSA to assess how quantum could benefit their operations.
Another concern is the loss of technical expertise across government due to staff reductions at agencies like the National Science Foundation, which play a critical role in translational research. While Stimers acknowledged that some disruption is happening, he said he expects quantum to remain a national priority.
“I expect that areas like quantum that are of significant national priority for the United States will turn out to be priorities when all is said and done,” Stimers told Politico.
Competing Approaches to Quantum Computing
The industry remains divided on how to build scalable quantum computers. Some companies focus on improving the efficiency of a smaller number of qubits, while others prioritize increasing qubit count. Stimers said there is no consensus on the best path forward and that different approaches will likely be suited to different applications.
“The question is really how to organize a quantum computer, and the answer is, let’s try all the different ways and let companies make whatever bets they think are best and see what happens,” said Stimers. “I don’t expect there will be a right answer across all applications. I think at least for the foreseeable future, we’ll have companies trying several different kinds of approach[es], and some of those approaches may work better than others for one kind of application, and some may work for others. Or there may be approaches that just don’t work, and it’s possible that there’s an approach that will work best across the board.”
He argued that the market should be allowed to drive innovation, rather than the government intervening to back specific approaches.
“Odds are at least one of those companies or one of those areas of research is going to pan out,” Stimers said, pointing out that the U.S. taxpayer won’t be liable for the costs.
The Road Ahead
The push for quantum leadership comes amid rising global competition. China has invested heavily in quantum research, and the European Union has its own quantum initiatives. Stimers told Politico that ensuring the U.S. remains a global leader will require continued government backing, including funding for research, defense applications and commercial integration.
With reauthorization efforts underway, the industry is hoping for swift action. Stimers expressed confidence that Congress will move forward on the NQI reauthorization and that quantum will remain a bipartisan priority.
“…We hope to be a resource and a cheerleader for getting it done as soon as possible,” he said.
