Quantum technology experts from around the country will convene virtually at the University of Chicago on Nov. 11-13, 2020 to forge new partnerships amid an exciting year for quantum research.
The third annual Chicago Quantum Summit will bring together university, government, and industry leaders in the emerging field of quantum information science. It is hosted by the Chicago Quantum Exchange, headquartered at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and a leading national hub for the science and engineering of quantum information and for training tomorrow’s quantum workforce.
This year’s summit comes on the heels of the U.S. Department of Energy announcing it will fund five new National Quantum Information Science Research Centers, including a center led by Argonne National Laboratory and a center led by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, which are each projected to receive $115 million in funding over the next five years. Both laboratories are affiliated with the University of Chicago.
This year, the three-day Quantum Summit will include presentations and discussions that focus on building collaborations between large-scale quantum research centers, companies, and innovators; fostering a quantum economic ecosystem and growing the quantum startup community; and developing a quantum-ready workforce.
It will also include a public talk on Nov. 12, featuring a presentation by Scott Aaronson, the David J. Bruton Centennial Professor of Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin; and a fireside chat with Aaronson and David Awschalom, the director of the Chicago Quantum Exchange.
“The Chicago Quantum Summit will assemble leaders from across the community who are accelerating the development of quantum science and technology,” said Awschalom, who is also the Liew Family Professor in Spintronics and Quantum Information at the UChicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and the director of Q-NEXT, a U.S. Department of Energy quantum information science center led by Argonne National Laboratory. “This virtual event provides an opportunity to hear perspectives from the broader quantum community, to foster collaboration across large-scale initiatives, to help nurture tomorrow’s quantum engineers, and to develop the quantum economy.”
In addition to the Department of Energy centers, three new National Science Foundation Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes were announced this summer.
Three out of the total eight national centers are headquartered in Illinois: Q-NEXT, led by Argonne National Laboratory; the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center, led by Fermilab; and the Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Hybrid Quantum Architectures and Networks, which is headquartered at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The recent investments in quantum science by the federal government and commitments by leading technology companies support the emerging quantum ecosystem and the development and translation of new technologies. During the summit, Harriet Kung—deputy director for science programs in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science—and National Science Foundation director Sethuraman “Panch” Panchanathan will provide their agencies’ perspectives and aims for building these centers, spanning research through education and workforce development.
The summit session on Nov. 13 will focus on the economic impact of quantum science and technology, opportunities to hear from the investor community, and insights into cultivating quantum startups.
That day’s opening keynote will be delivered by Penny Pritzker, founder and chairman of PSP Partners, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and co-chair of P33, a private sector-led nonprofit dedicated to developing the Chicago region into a leading global tech and innovation hub. A panel discussion on advancing quantum startups will include speakers Christopher Monroe, co-founder and chief scientist of IonQ; Chris Savoie, founder and CEO of Zapata Computing; and Jennifer Elliott, co-founder and vice president of business development of QEYnet.
Other speakers include Jim Clarke, director of quantum hardware at Intel, and University of Chicago President Robert Zimmer, among others. The summit will also include presentations from leaders of newly announced Department of Energy and National Science Foundation-funded federal centers.
This event is open to quantum-interested leaders, researchers and trainees across industry, universities, government and national laboratories.
Learn more about the speakers, view the agenda, and register for the live sessions on the 2020 Chicago Quantum Summit event website.
—Adapted from an article first posted by the Chicago Quantum Exchange.
—Prof. Jacqueline Stewart
