Australia to rethink its position as a global quantum leader

10 June 2021

Last century, Australia was an international trailblazer in quantum computing. Now we are falling behind the rest of the world. So what can we do about it?

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If Australia is to reinstate its position as a global leader in quantum technology, a clear quantum strategy, strong political leadership, and a focus on policy and public investment is needed, according to a new report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI).

The report compiled by ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre (ICPC), An Australian strategy for the quantum revolution, argues countries with a substantial quantum portfolio will dominate the information processing space in the coming decades. And Australia is lagging behind.

Major findings of the report were discussed by coauthors and quantum researchers, Dr Simon Devitt and Dr Peter Rohde from the University of Technology Sydney, Professor Gavin Brennen from Macquarie University and Dr Tara Roberson from the University of Queensland, at an ICPC forum in Canberra last week.

Dr Devitt warns Australia is at risk of being crowded out globally,if we don't match the level of sovereign investment in quantum programs by other OECD nations.

“We still have the talent here, but we don't have the capital,” he says.

“And it's becoming harder and harder for us to compete, when corporations are pilfering talent left right and centre from Australia,”

"We've just got to take it to the next order of magnitude," he says. "If the rest of the world is going to increase [quantum] funding by a factor of 10 or 100, we've got to increase it by a factor of 10 or 100."

The first and foremost long-term goal is that we can't put ourselves in a position where we end up becoming purely a client state.

Dr Peter Rohde
UTS Centre for Quantum Software and Information

Emerging quantum technologies will transform many of our future industries, from healthcare and finance to communications and logistics.

Quantum cryptography for instance, creates encrypted codes that can’t even be broken by a quantum computer - a boon for the military and security sectors.

But while the future benefits are huge, Dr Peter Rohde warns Australia also needs the capabilities to manage potential threats.

"It's not just about 'We want to develop this technology and have it'," he says. "We also need to be mindful of who we don't want to have it,"

"The first and foremost long-term goal is that we can't put ourselves in a position where we end up becoming purely a client state,"

"If you think of our reliance on silicon chips at the moment, we're completely dependent upon others,"

"[We need to] to position ourselves so that we're producing things and selling them to others, rather than licensing a cloud subscription service from a future quantum cloud provider,"

"Ultimately, economics is what determines strategic strength."

ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre is urging senior policy makers to establish a national consolidated strategy to prepare Australia for the quantum revolution.

WATCH THE FORUM : An Australian Strategy for the Quantum Revolution, presented by the ASPI International Cyber Policy Centre