Appendix A: Support for quantum across the Australian Government

The ARC also awarded the following Industry Laureate Fellowships to:

• Scientia Professor Alexander Hamilton of the University of New South Wales for his project ‘Unleashing the combined power of electrons and holes in quantum computing’ 
• Professor Andrea Morello of the University of New South Wales for his project ‘Establishing practical quantum information in higher dimensions'.

Starting in 2024, $29.8 million is dedicated to funding 6 Industrial Transformation Training Centres under the ARC’s Industrial Transformation Research Program to encourage close connections and collaboration between university-based researchers and industry. Two Industrial Transformation Training Centres will be dedicated to quantum technologies to develop research capability for the future quantum workforce to advance solutions relevant to the Industrial Transformation Priorities:

• future leaders in quantum computing at the University of Sydney
• current and emergent quantum technologies at the University of Adelaide.

The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) promotes Australia as a prime destination for international investors and connects Australian quantum businesses with global markets. It leads initiatives such as the Landing Pads program which provides market-ready scaleups with an operational base and customised support for overseas expansion. It also offers Australian businesses with market insights, expansion strategies and introductions to networks and venture capital. The Export Market Development program offers funding up to $770,000 to support Australian small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs), including quantum startups, to help export in international markets.

The Department of Defence (Defence) leads the $3.4 billion Advanced Strategic Capability Accelerator (ASCA) to accelerate delivery of capability to Australia’s Defence Force. Through its programs, Defence partners with businesses and researchers to co-design projects to transform Australia’s defence innovation ecosystem and create advanced technologies for national security.

Quantum technologies play a vital role in the defence innovation ecosystem and enable a distributed network of quantum computers, communications, and sensing technology. In November 2023, ASCA called for industry and academia round one submissions as part of the Emerging Disruptive Technologies program. This round will focus on the science and technology outlook from the Defence innovation, science and technology priorities. Chosen partners have been invited to co-design work packages with Defence.

In July 2023, Defence announced a partnership with the Australian quantum company Q-CTRL to develop quantum sensors to improve positioning and navigation capabilities. The partnership shows the important connection the Australian quantum industry has with government and highlights our capacity to translate research into real world applications. 

The Department of Education (Education) has helped build a solid foundation of quantum technologies research and infrastructure to ensure Australia remains competitive in a rapidly advancing field. In October 2023, Education announced funding of $47 million to the Australian National Fabrication Facility. This included $4.5 million specifically to create cutting edge fabrication facilities to prototype quantum devices. The funding is part of the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), which delivers open access to infrastructure for the research sector. Education also gave $5 million in funding to the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre to support high-performance computing resources for quantum simulations and data analysis in quantum research.

In July 2024, the Australian Government announced $180 million in funding through the first round of Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA) grants. The AEA is a $1.6 billion Australian Government program to support the translation and commercialisation of research in areas of national priority for the economy. The AEA’s initial 6 focus areas include quantum technologies.

The Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs) manages immigration policies and programs such as the Global Talent Program. This program aims to attract skilled migrants with an internationally recognised and exceptional record of outstanding achievement in an eligible field such as quantum technologies. Australian quantum businesses can apply to sponsor a permanent visa to fill skills in short supply by targeting overseas talent. 

Home Affairs also leads the Australian Cyber Security Strategy. This Strategy includes a roadmap to help realise the Australian Government’s vision to become a world leader in cyber security by 2030. Its Plan of Action deals explicitly with the future challenge posed by quantum computing on contemporary cryptography, and the importance of adopting post-quantum cryptographic standards.

The Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) has a central role coordinating delivery of the strategy and several strategy related activities, including:

• managing flagship initiatives under the strategy, including the Government’s investment in PsiQuantum, the Critical Technologies Challenge Program, and the establishment of Quantum Australia (see Progress for more details on these initiatives)
• taking steps to grow the quantum workforce through the delivery of the Next Generation Quantum Graduates Program, which funds up to 20 PhD scholarships
• funding the National Quantum Collaboration Initiative to inform future quantum workforce planning.

DISR is responsible for a range of other programs and policies that also support the ambition in the strategy including:

• The Industry Growth Program, which provides advice and matched grant funding for small to medium sized businesses and startups to commercialise their ideas and grow their businesses. The program helps to encourage early-stage investment in government identified priority areas such as enabling capabilities.
• The CRC-P program, which supports industry-led research collaborations to develop a product, service, or process that solves industry problems, benefits SMEs and includes education and training activities.
• To support a Future Made in Australia, the Government has invested $38.2 million over 8 years (plus $1.3 million per year ongoing) to support a thriving, skilled and diverse STEM workforce. This includes providing more funding to expand existing programs within the Industry and Science portfolio. It responds to the recommendations of the independent Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review released in February 2024. 
• The Moon to Mars initiative, managed by the Australian Space Agency. This initiative offers phased investments in Australia’s critical tech priorities, such as quantum communications and sensing technologies, using space as an enabler. The $150 million program will help Australian businesses build capacity to supply products and services into domestic and international space industry supply chains that could support Moon to Mars initiatives. This program has funded projects in optical communications and quantum enabled timing and navigation systems. 

As Australia’s national science agency, the CSIRO is creating capability in several quantum research fields, such as quantum software and algorithms, devices, simulation and quantum biology, quantum machine learning, quantum security, and quantum software, to support the transition of Australia’s digital economy to the quantum era. As at August 2024, CSIRO employs around 150 people working on quantum and quantum adjacent technologies.

• The Quantum Technologies Future Science Platform (QT-FSP) has made investments to support initiatives that will build capability across emerging quantum technologies. It has engaged postdoctoral researchers in sensing, communications, algorithms, software, biotech and batteries. The QT-FSP has partnered in the Sydney Quantum Academy’s PhD program and jointly hosting quantum events.
• CSIRO hosted the first Australian Quantum Communications Forum in March 2024 and organised the inaugural International Conference on Quantum Energy in December 2023. 
• CSIRO has begun new research projects with a focus on understanding the social and ethical considerations associated with developing and deploying quantum technologies. This is essential if Australia is to exploit the full potential of quantum science and develop responsible and transformational technologies that will give a benefit to society.
• CSIRO is assessing the preparedness of Australian industries to adopt and use quantum technologies through a project titled ‘Understanding quantum readiness across Australian industry sectors’, which will contribute to a responsible and safe quantum ecosystem. The research will also inform the development of future public dialogue by investigating where gaps in knowledge, awareness and preparedness exist for further study.