U.S. President Trump signed an executive order on Monday to accelerate the construction of high-performance quantum computers for scientific research and accelerate the improvement of government systems' ability to respond to related cybersecurity threats, thereby strengthening the United States' leading position in this critical technology race.
Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said at a telephone briefing before the release of the policy: "We believe that this goal can be achieved by 2028." He was referring to the construction of a quantum computer with significant scientific research value.
Subsequently, Trump said at the executive order signing ceremony: "We will make unprecedented investments in American quantum technology leadership." He added that these measures will further expand the United States' lead in this field.
Trump signed two executive orders this time, one of which directs federal agencies, including the Department of Energy, to work with the private sector and academia to deploy a quantum computer capable of scientific research by 2028.
Another one aims to enhance the U.S. government's ability to resist quantum computer-driven cyberattacks, proposing the goal of fully migrating key government computing systems to a "post-quantum cryptography" system by 2030 or 2031.
Quantum computers use the principles of quantum physics to process information and can perform operations on some complex problems far faster than today's most advanced supercomputers. At the same time, this technology may also break the encryption mechanisms currently used to protect computer systems and data, thus raising concerns about the risk of future large-scale cyber attacks.
These executive orders underscore the Trump administration’s emphasis on ensuring that the United States remains at the forefront of the quantum race. Quantum technology is not only expected to promote major breakthroughs in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), materials science and chemistry, but also brings new cybersecurity challenges. Therefore, the United States is trying to strengthen defense capabilities while promoting technological development.
Last month, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that it planned to invest US$2 billion in nine quantum computing companies, including IBM's newly established quantum computing project, to support industry development through equity investment.
In addition, the executive order also proposed that international cooperation will be strengthened, focusing on promoting the protection of intellectual property rights and the security construction of the quantum industry supply chain. Kratsios said that this move is aimed at preventing key technologies and industrial chains from external impacts.
Relevant policy plans also require federal agencies to formulate deployment plans for the next five years and accelerate the application of next-generation quantum technologies such as quantum sensors and quantum networks.
Currently, technology giants and a large number of start-ups are racing to develop larger and more powerful quantum systems, with the ultimate goal of launching quantum computers that can continuously exceed the performance of traditional computers. Despite the recent surge in share prices of many quantum computing concept stocks, skeptics point out that the industry still faces many technical challenges before it can fulfill its long-term promises.
A senior White House official said that the government hopes to set a goal of "realizing research-grade quantum computers by 2028", which can become an important springboard towards larger commercial quantum systems and lay the foundation for future quantum computers to perform practical tasks for corporate customers.