Quantum technology can give Australia the tools of the future
Australia’s peak body for innovation technology, the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), is calling on the Albanese Government to invest $US1 billion in quantum technology over five years as part of Australia’s Quantum Crossroads, the AIIA’s submission to the Government’s Quantum Strategy consultation paper.
In the paper, the AIIA makes 13 recommendations and calls on the government to grasp the opportunity and invest heavily in quantum research and technology as an emerging technology with the capacity to solve significant national problems.
The paper, Australia’s Quantum Crossroads, was developed in consultation with both local Australian and multi-national AIIA members operating in Australia with quantum and quantum-linked product offerings.
The AIIA is urging the government to become an early adopter and customer for the nationally strategic and critical quantum industry, adopting a mindset shift by which the government directly contracts companies and assumes risk to allow the industry to significantly scale.
One of the key recommendations of the paper is the call to invest $US1 billion in quantum research and technology, through contracts and grants over the next five years to maintain Australia’s global competitiveness and ensure we don’t fall behind our international peers and competitors.
The AIIA suggests the government through the strategy identify Australian specialised areas of value and comparative advantage including quantum sensing, communications, and computing. Nurturing industry-academic partnerships and entrepreneurial thinking will support the sector to commercialise effectively along with direct procurements.
The AIIA’s submission covers the following areas of action and opportunity for the quantum sector:
- Cyber security and cryptography
- Quantum literacy in schools
- Defence strategy
- Foreign policy
- Innovation incentives
- Workforce development
These important areas will benefit from quantum technologies through domestic coordination, international collaboration, and greater investment from government in its aim to accelerate the growth of the fledgling quantum industry, to ensure Australia remains a leader on the world stage.
AIIA CEO Simon Bush said: “Quantum technology can give Australia the tools of the future to address urgent national problems in key areas including cyber security, disaster preparedness and biotechnology.
“Government must lead in the adoption of quantum technologies and in part do this by changing the way it traditionally looks to support growing critical sectors. Governments going to market to directly procure quantum solutions and capabilities is a mindset change and will help drive the local quantum industry along with a focus on commercialisation partnerships between industry, private equity investors and researchers. Translating Australia’s world-class research into prototypes, customers and contracts is vital for taking the sector to the next level.
“The AIIA has long encouraged the government to increase its focus and funding in quantum technologies, with our 2021 White Paper calling on the government to invest in a national quantum centre and develop a National Quantum Strategy. We commend the Government for spearheading, and consulting on, a National Quantum Strategy and it must now bet big on quantum and adopt these key recommendations to meet the Strategy’s objectives,” Bush said.
In the AIIA’s 2021 Industry White Paper, Growing Globally Competitive Industries: Powered by Australia’s innovation technology, it called on the Federal government to:
- Invest at least $US110 million over four years in a national Quantum computing centre
- Create a national Quantum technology strategy
The AIIA is a not-for-profit organisation aimed at fuelling Australia’s future social and economic prosperity through tech innovation and remains committed to working with all levels of Government to secure Australia’s digital future.
