The Australian Government is progressing key measures to grow Australia’s quantum industry and support the adoption and commercialisation of innovative quantum technologies.
The National Quantum Strategy will outline Australia’s vision for the quantum industry. Australia’s Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley will guide the strategy with other experts.
Australia has many world-leading quantum research capabilities. Growing the quantum technology industry has the potential to add $4 billion and 16,000 new jobs to the economy by 2040.
What quantum can do
Quantum is an emerging technology with the potential to improve our lives:
- Quantum computers could store and process data in ways that will allow us to draw new insights from massive datasets.
- Quantum sensors could enable faster and more accurate civil engineering projects, allowing us to save time on infrastructure activities like roadworks.
- Quantum enabled rapid drug discovery could become possible.
- Quantum encryption could help protect our government, businesses and society.
How quantum technology works
Our current digital electronics are powered by tiny electrical switches called transistors. The processing power of a computer depends on how many transistors it has. Modern transistors are very small but there is currently a limit to how small we can make them.
Quantum technologies will take us beyond these limits by allowing us to control tiny quantum particles. This means that we can build ‘qubits’, the building blocks of quantum computers.