The Trump administration will issue a total of US$2 billion in subsidies to nine quantum computing companies, and the U.S. government will simultaneously obtain equity in related companies.The U.S. Department of Commerce officially announced that the Trump administration will provide a total of nine quantum computing companies withUS$2 billionSupport funds, and the cooperation plan includes provisions for the U.S. government to invest in shares.
Real shots of IBM's second-generation quantum computing system components, showing gold and silver precision metal components. Currently, IBM and other companies are working hard to develop quantum computers that are more stable and can be implemented on a large scale.
This move is aimed at accelerating the government's support for the emerging quantum industry. In recent months, the capital market and major companies have already stepped up their efforts in the quantum track.
Of the total funding, US$1 billion will be invested in industry leader International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). Quantum computers rely on the principles of quantum mechanics and are much faster than traditional supercomputers. With the coordinated development of artificial intelligence technology, quantum computing can greatly speed up the scientific research process. Therefore, it is regarded by the Trump administration as a core strategic industry related to economic development and national security.
IBM and other companies are working hard to develop specialized chips for quantum computing, which is also the focus of the U.S. government's efforts to improve the local chip supply chain.
The major wafer manufacturer GlobalFoundries will receive US$375 million in support funds; most other companies will receive US$1 billion in support each, and only the start-up Dirac plans to receive US$38 million.
The companies approved for support this time cover multiple quantum technology research and development routes, including listed companies D-Wave Quantum Company, Ligeti Computing Company, and Inflexion Company.
At present, various financial cooperation agreements are still waiting to be finalized and implemented.
This batch of support funds comes from the "Chip and Science Act" introduced in the United States in 2022. Special funds from this bill can be used to support early-stage cutting-edge technology projects.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has completed the internal structural adjustment of the department. On the one hand, he has promoted semiconductor companies to increase local investment. On the other hand, he has rarely taken a stake in Intel, with a shareholding ratio of close to 10%. Intel's stock price rose sharply after the completion of this transaction.
According to the cooperation rules, the U.S. government will obtain minority stakes in each quantum company. Previously, the United States has adopted similar shareholding models in rare earth magnetic material company Vulcan Elements and mining company MP Materials Company. The Ministry of Commerce has not disclosed specific shareholding ratios and equity structure details.
Lutnick said in a statement: The Trump administration is leading the world and ushering in a new era of innovation in the United States.
According to people familiar with the matter, the U.S. government is also formulating a special administrative order targeting the quantum industry. With the recent breakthroughs in quantum technology, technology giants such as Microsoft and Google have also invested heavily in the field, continuing to attract capital into the field.
Senior officials from the U.S. Department of Commerce said that the development environment for the quantum industry has improved significantly and the path to commercialization of the technology has become increasingly clear.
It has been previously reported that the U.S. Department of Commerce has already been negotiating with a number of quantum companies for financial support and equity participation.
Some technology analysts believe that the risks of cutting-edge industries such as quantum are too high and are not suitable for direct government equity investment; however, Lutnick believes that this cooperation plan is reasonably designed and will ultimately allow U.S. taxpayers to obtain actual benefits. Officials from the Ministry of Commerce also admitted that the government's diversified investment in multiple companies is to spread risks. Such cutting-edge investments often take several years to see actual results.
Dana Goward, head of a public welfare organization focusing on the field of satellite navigation, said: "Everyone is optimistic about quantum technology as the core track of the future, but most industry expectations and development visions have not yet been realized." Industry analysts say that quantum technology is expected to fully replace the existing GPS positioning system in the future.
Executives of various quantum quantum companies said that with the continuous injection of funds and the continuous emergence of scientific research results such as high-performance chips, the technology research and development cycle in the quantum field is being shortened significantly.
IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said bluntly in a March interview: "Today, the development process of quantum technology has accelerated significantly, and its development stage is comparable to the artificial intelligence chip industry ten years ago."
Other quantum start-ups that have received support include: Atomic Computing, Pusey Quantum, and Quintinian.