Insider Brief
- The Quantum Economic Development Consortium’s 2026 Quantum Technology Showcase on the Hill brought together U.S. policymakers, federal officials and leading quantum companies to demonstrate the growing commercial and strategic importance of quantum technologies.
- The event followed recent White House quantum initiatives and highlighted quantum computing, communications, sensing and enabling technologies as Congress considers reauthorizing the National Quantum Initiative Act and agencies implement new federal quantum policies.
- Discussions and demonstrations focused on practical challenges for scaling the U.S. quantum ecosystem, including supply chain resilience, workforce development, acquisition pathways and broader access to quantum computing resources.
PRESS RELEASE — Following a landmark year for U.S. quantum policy and innovation, the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C®) brought together senior government officials, bipartisan members of Congress, federal agency leaders and leading quantum companies Tuesday for the 2026 Quantum Technology Showcase on the Hill.
Held just weeks after President Donald Trump signed Executive Orders advancing U.S. quantum innovation and days after the White House Summit on American Quantum Innovation, the event offered a hands-on demonstration of technologies moving from research to real-world applications across quantum computing, communications, sensing and enabling technologies.
The Showcase also offered members of Congress and their staff a rare opportunity to see many of the world’s most advanced quantum technologies in person and speak directly with the companies shaping the industry.
“With quantum innovation a clear national priority, policymakers are increasingly focused on the practical steps needed to translate scientific leadership into economic growth and national security advantage,” said Dr. Celia Merzbacher, Executive Director of QED-C. “The technologies demonstrated on Capitol Hill show that the quantum industry is real and growing. Companies are building the capabilities that will power the next technology revolution, one that is advancing every day.”
Featured speakers included U.S. Sen. Steve Daines; U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, ranking member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee; Chris Pilkerton, assistant secretary for investment security at the U.S. Department of the Treasury; Dr. Erwin Gianchandani, assistant director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships at the U.S. National Science Foundation; Dr. Brad Blakestad, director of the National Quantum Coordination Office at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Heather Goethert, Director of the Office of Emerging and Critical Technology Policy at the U.S. Department of State; and Michael A. Massetti, section chief at the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Dr. Merzbacher.
The 2026 Quantum Technology Showcase underscored the growing importance of quantum technologies to U.S. competitiveness, economic security and national security as Congress considers reauthorization of the National Quantum Initiative Act and federal agencies begin implementing recent quantum policy directives.
Participants that demonstrated quantum technologies included AdvR, Alice & Bob, Bluefors, Inc., Brightlight Photonics, D-Wave Quantum, FieldLine Industries, Frequency Electronics, Inc., Google Quantum AI, IBM Research, Infleqtion, IQM, Maybell Quantum Industries, NVIDIA, Phasecraft, Quantinuum, Quantum Computing Inc., Quantum Optics Jena, Rigetti, SRI, Sumitomo (SHI) Cryogenics and Toshiba.
Throughout the event, discussions focused on the practical barriers and policy considerations that will shape the next phase of U.S. quantum innovation, including supply chain resilience, assured access, workforce development, acquisition pathways, and developer access to quantum computing resources.
