The U.S. National Science Foundation is investing more than $290 million in eight Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes, expanding a program launched under the National Quantum Initiative Act. Three newly formed centers join five renewed institutes tackling fault tolerance, hybrid architectures, and quantum sensing. The awards support researchers at 36 institutions and partnerships with more than 30 companies.
The Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) brought senior government officials, bipartisan members of Congress, and leading quantum companies to Capitol Hill for the 2026 Quantum Technology Showcase. Held shortly after landmark Executive Orders and a White House Summit on American Quantum Innovation, the event featured live demonstrations across quantum computing, sensing, communications, and enabling technologies. Policymakers engaged directly with systems from firms including IBM Research, Google Quantum AI, Quantinuum, Rigetti, Infleqtion, and others. Discussions focused on supply-chain resilience, workforce development, and pathways to scale commercial applications under the National Quantum Initiative.