To explore options for government-industry engagement, QED-C organized a workshop that convened experts in quantum computing, technology commercialization, regulatory navigation, and converging sectors like finance, healthcare, and defense to discuss bottlenecks to scaling quantum computing technologies and identify partnership approaches to overcome them. This report summarizes the workshop convened by the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C), managed by SRI International, on January 23, 2026, with the support of U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) funding.
Participants from government, industry, and potential industrial end users gathered to discuss how government agencies that fund research can better engage with industry through direct partnership to transfer quantum computing research results to practical applications.
Throughout the workshop, participants described quantum computing as being at a critical inflection point: foundational research has advanced significantly, yet pathways for delivering tangible value remain unclear. Participants compared quantum computing to the development curve of artificial intelligence: promising, but not yet proven.
Keynote remarks addressed government and private investment in quantum computing, as well as examples of partnership models that could inform future quantum collaborations. Industry stakeholders and prospective end users participated in panel discussions to outline how quantum computing might demonstrate measurable impact for major industries in the near term. The workshop also included small-group sessions that identified features of successful quantum partnerships and explored potential partnership models. These discussions inform the observations and recommendations summarized below.
Key insights include:
This work was made possible by support from the National Science Foundation under grant number #2552622.