US, Switzerland Plan New Cooperation on Quantum Computing

Bastian Benrath, Bloomberg News

Machines at the electronics lab at the Honeywell Quantum Computer Lab in Broomfield, Colorado, U.S., on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. Honeywell is pursuing its own path to producing a practical quantum computer that can be used for everyday business. On October 29 it unveiled what it dubbed the H1, its second-generation quantum computer. , Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- The US will sign an agreement with Switzerland, a pioneer in quantum-computing technology, to work together more closely in the field, the Swiss government said Tuesday.

“The goal is to strengthen the cooperation between the US and Switzerland, which has existed for a long time,” said Martin Fischer, spokesman of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, or SERI. He said the two sides will look to foster bilateral research projects.

The agency’s top official, Martina Hirayama, will travel to the US to sign the agreement Wednesday, Fischer said.

The two countries signed an agreement on scientific and technological cooperation in 2009, and Switzerland is a pioneer in using quantum computing to ensure voting integrity. In 2007, the Swiss canton of Geneva deployed a system using quantum-key distribution to protect its elections developed by id Quantique SA, a Swiss tech firm.

American companies also conduct quantum research in Switzerland. IBM Corp. runs one of its 12 global research labs in Zurich, having entered a 10-year strategic partnership with the ETH Zurich university and the Swiss government to operate a nanotechnology center.

“Quantum has always been a global endeavor,” said Charles Tahan, the assistant director for quantum information science in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “The United States is committed to promoting and supporting international cooperation on QIS research and skills development.”

The State Department declined to comment on Tuesday.