Austin tech campus aims to make Texas a quantum computing leader - Yahoo

As investors, Matt Cimaglia and Alex Challans were always looking for the next big thing in technology. This video created with the assistance of AI.But when they tried to invest in quantum computing - one of the newest and potentially most promising technology sectors - they found their money didn't go very far.Google's "Willow" quantum computing chip is seen in a 2024 handout photo. (Google)"If we put a million dollars into a quantum company, the very frustrating thing is that half of that million immediately goes into something like renting space or equipment," Challans said. "If we invest in an AI startup, they could work for at least 18 months before they run out of money. Quantum can't commercialize without spaces with shared equipment." That challenge led Cimaglia to found Quantum Coast Capital and, with Challans, pursue a different kind of investment: building the infrastructure they say quantum companies need.Cimaglia recently announced plans to build a quantum computing campus in Southeast Austin not far from Tesla Inc.'s sprawling Gigafactory Texas campus.The goal is to bring infrastructure to the budding technology industry in Texas so quantum computing companies can thrive. The proposed campus, called Occam Foundry, would give quantum startups access to shared labs, manufacturing facilities and specialized equipment that backers say Texas lacks today. Quantum computing uses principles of quantum mechanics - the physics governing matter and energy at very small scales - to tackle certain complex problems. Quantum algorithms could enable quantum computers to outperform even the most powerful conventional computers on some tasks. Traditional computers use bits, which can represent either a zero or a one. Quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits, which can represent a zero, a one or a combination of both."If Texas can lean into this, they will have a stranglehold of part of the quantum economy," Challans said. "They will have quantum devices, they'll have quantum manufacturing, quantum foundry, supply chain and more all in Texas. That means that when other industries change or fall away, they have a very strong position."A water line marker sits at the future site of Occam Foundry in Southeast Austin on Aug. 31 near Tesla's Gigafactory site. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman)Samara Real Property, which owns the area where Occam Foundry will be built, approached Cimaglia about building a quantum data center on the site. "I've been vocally against data centers," Cimaglia said. "It's not because I think they're bad or because I need to wear a tinfoil hat if I'm walking by one. It's more sort of this outdated model of a knee-jerk reaction as a result of what's happening today in AI."But in Challans and Cimaglia's eyes, the big problem is space to work, build and experiment. That's where the new Austin facility comes in. "Everyone wants to ensure that the silicon revolution and AI revolution, which effectively happened in Silicon Valley, in California, isn't the same story for quantum," he said. "Texas, being the eighth-largest economy in the world, has a fair share of its own research and working quantum. What it is significantly lacking is the infrastructure and public investment for making commercialization happen."Occam Foundry is planned as a 16.5-acre campus near the Colorado River and not far from the 2,600-acre Dog's Head development, where Amazon recently announced its plans to build a robotics factory. Across the highway at Gigafactory Texas, Tesla is also developing a robotics factory, doing advanced chip fabrication and operating its own computing centers. The new Occam Foundry campus would include about six buildings, one of which will serve as the headquarters for a yet-to-be-named company, Cimaglia said. He said memorandums of understanding have been signed with the company as plans for the project await state incentives. The other buildings are to include coworking spaces, a full-scale quantum chip-making facility, a research building, lab and event spaces. Cimaglia said he is in talks with the University of Texas to house some of the university's quantum and advanced computing classes on the campus.Last year, Texas enacted the Texas Quantum Initiative, a plan aimed at bringing the state to the forefront of the rapidly growing technology. The initiative outlined plans for an advisory committee to study how the state can lead in the emerging technology. But the committee hasn't made much progress yet."I met with those people, and I told them what I'm building," he said. "And they told me, 'You're showing us up.' Because I am. But I want to light a fire under them, get them going on we really do need to do this and we need to be proactive on these initiatives." The campus would be a first for Texas, but not for the country. Across the U.S., there are five primary U.S. Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Centers, nearly 40 facilities at universities and roughly 300 private facilities for quantum computing research. Cimaglia and Challans have already done a similar project in Florida. Illinois also will soon be home to a massive quantum and microelectronics park just outside of downtown Chicago."States need to have a genuine asset in their region; otherwise, they will not hold the keys to the future economy," Challans said. Ground-clearing work is underway Aug. 31 at the future site of Occam Foundry in Southeast Austin, south of the Colorado River and near Tesla's Gigafactory Texas plant. Developers plan to build a six-building campus with shared labs, manufacturing facilities and research space for quantum computing companies. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman)The science of quantum computing emerged in the early 20th century, but it wasn't until fairly recently that the world began seeing the commercialization of quantum devices and computing, such as Google's Willow, Microsoft's Majorana 1, IBM's Condor and Amazon's Ocelot chips.Challans has been writing about quantum computing for years, even before companies like Google and Microsoft started announcing major advancements in the field. He is the CEO and co-founder of technology market intelligence platform Resonance. He said quantum could transform technology and work much as artificial intelligence has today, though likely in different ways. By harnessing more computing power, quantum computing has the capacity to reshape national security, medicine and energy. China has already invested roughly $10 billion in building the world's largest quantum research facility.

The European Union announced a strategic plan to boost quantum innovation and research last year.Cimaglia said it's especially important for the U.S. to invest in quantum for the protection of Americans' data and information. "You think you're using encryption or 'I'm on the cloud, so I'm going to be protected.' But chances are, you're going to be hacked," Cimaglia said. "This idea of harvest now, decrypt later with quantum is emerging, meaning they'll steal information even if they can't open it until they have a quantum computer one day. I'd rather know that I'm being protected today." The U.S. is now looking to catch up. Via the CHIPS and Science Act, the federal government is investing $2 billion through the Department of Commerce to fund domestic quantum computing companies in exchange for minority equity stakes.Several states have also created incentive and investment programs to attract companies and research, including California and Maryland.Sign up for the Daily Briefing from the Austin American-Statesman. Start your day with the must-read headlines from Austin's most trusted news source.This article originally published at Austin tech campus aims to make Texas a quantum computing leader.