QSA seamlessly integrates the broad research network from its 15 members into a cohesive, collaborative Center that propels the field forward in new ways. To build a connected, engaged, and diverse research community, QSA frequently engages with industry, government labs, and international research programs with a commercial focus on the quantum industry, including the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Federal Laboratory Consortium in the United States. In addition, QSA has hosted and co-organized industry-focused roundtables and events to hear directly from leaders and investors in major publicly traded companies and innovative. Through partnerships, external advisory boards, and industry listening sessions, QSA solicits industry input on what is needed to accelerate technology development.

In addition to its core team, the Quantum Systems Accelerator engages with more than 30 partners across academia, government labs, international research programs, and industry, including large companies and startups. These partnerships enable the QSA to determine what’s needed to accelerate quantum R&D and develop technology roadmaps that shepherd promising technologies from the lab to the factory.

Quantum Foundries

QSA leverages the expertise and cutting-edge instrumentation of world-class quantum foundries, including Sandia Labs’ Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT) and Microsystems Engineering, Science and Applications (MESA), MIT Lincoln Laboratory Microelectronics Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley’s Nanolaboratory and Quantum Nanoelectronics Laboratory. 

Similarly, QSA partners with advanced materials characterization and modeling facilities, including Berkeley Lab’s Advanced Light Source, Molecular Foundry, and NERSC, the University of New Mexico’s Center for Advanced Research Computing. Collaboration with open-access quantum computing testbeds, including Berkeley Lab’s Advanced Quantum Testbed and Sandia Labs’ QSCOUT. Finally, QSA partners with specialized optical/electrical engineering facilities.

Innovation

QSA operates an innovation ecosystem that enables investors and startup partners to understand the emerging field and identify ways to catalyze and accelerate new companies. One such example is Cyclotron Road, a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory division, serving as an incubator for quantum computing hardware startups such as Bleximo Corp.

QSA is also exploring partnerships with other government agencies, such as the Air Force Research Lab, to participate in programs that match innovative startups and university technologies with government needs. The goal is to expose QSA to new ways to innovate rapidly through partnerships with commercial industry partners and discovering commercial technology solutions.

QSA hosted several industry roundtable series to identify and tackle several clearly defined challenges the QIS community can rally around. This series launched in May 2021 with a general overview of potential technology challenges. Future meetings will focus on specific applications to help focus and build future partnerships.