Recently, the Australian government announced a number of measures, including the launch of a national quantum strategy to develop Australia's quantum industry and support the application and commercialization of quantum technology innovation.
The Government has published the National Research Infrastructure (NRI) Roadmap 2021 to guide Australia's investment plans for Research Infrastructure in 2022. The roadmap consultation identifies a series of eight emerging technologies and research areas of national strategic importance, including quantum technologies.
Australia's National Research Infrastructure (NRI) Roadmap 2021
The roadmap proposes that quantum science and technology are becoming increasingly important. Advances in areas such as quantum sensing and computing will drive revolutionary changes in a range of technologies that will help uncover valuable mineral deposits through quantum chemical simulations, effective groundwater monitoring, and accelerate drug development.
The Australian government has also identified artificial intelligence and quantum computing as one of the key research and collaboration areas of the Global Fund for Science and Technology Diplomacy (GSTDF). The fund was set up by the Government at a cost of $60.2 million to promote Australia's international partnerships in key research areas.
In addition, the Australian Government is seeking feedback on its National Quantum Strategy Issues Paper, which will be used to help develop a National Quantum Strategy. The National Quantum Strategy will outline Australia's vision for the development of the quantum industry and will be co-guided by a number of experts, including Australia's chief scientist, Cathy Foley.
Australian Technology Minister Melissa Price said the global quantum technology sector is expected to grow by 33% over the next 5 years. By 2040, quantum technologies have the potential to generate $4 billion in revenue and create 16,000 jobs for Australia.
Image from australia's National Quantum Strategy Issues Paper
Meanwhile, German and Australian quantum computing company Quantum Brilliance announced the establishment of a joint R&D center with La Trobe University in Australia and RMIT University to boost diamond-based quantum computing capabilities and help transition the technology to large-scale manufacturing systems.
At the newly formed Diamond Quantum Materials Research Center, researchers will focus on synthesizing high-performance, scalable core systems of diamond-based quantum microprocessors with atomic-level precision.
The centre has carried out a number of projects to develop new diamond manufacturing technologies. Among them, the Australian project is jointly funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) and Quantum Brilliance for millions of dollars.