Quantum Computing Is The Next Technological Horizon |
Quantum Computing Is The Next Technological Horizon
Nations are already racing for supremacy in quantum computing—where will the U.S. place?
Janet Levy | July 31, 2026
The ENIAC, built by the University of Pennsylvania in 1946 and used to calculate the parameters for America’s first hydrogen bomb, weighed 30 tons, performed 5,000 additions per second, and consumed 200 kilowatts. Today, cellphones are millions of times faster and use 1–5 watts. Quantum computing, still in its early stages, promises similar scaling within a few decades.
Nations are already racing for supremacy in quantum computing—well-suited to complex tasks such as designing new molecules, solving cutting-edge problems in math and physics, and analyzing weather systems, logistics, resource planning, and economic modeling. By 2035, quantum computing could be a $1.3 trillion industry.
President Donald Trump has taken several steps, including public-private partnerships, to keep America ahead:
In 2018, he signed the National Quantum Initiative Act into law, authorizing $1.275 billion to accelerate quantum research. The law created a federal program coordinated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of Energy (DoE). It also established the National Quantum Coordinating Office and the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee to guide policy and research.
In June of this year, Trump signed two executive orders to accelerate domestic quantum computing. The first calls for developing a quantum computer capable of performing significant scientific calculations—not just benchmark demonstrations—by 2028. The second directs federal agencies to begin adopting post-quantum cryptography to protect against cyberattacks by 2031.
The Department of Commerce has announced letters of intent to acquire stakes in nine leading quantum research companies, with $280 billion allocated to support semiconductor manufacturing and research.
The equity purchase will be made under the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. The portfolio includes IBM and GlobalFoundries, which fabricate specialized semiconductor wafers and quantum processing units (QPUs). Atom Computing and Infleqtion, which design full-stack quantum machines (the entire layer of........