A new Microsoft quantum research center is set to open at the University of Maryland’s (UMD) Discovery District next year, according to Gov. Wes Moore’s office and Microsoft.
The research center, which will be located at 5700 Rivertech Court in the Discovery District on the edge of College Park, will join several other quantum startups in the area as part of Moore’s Capital of Quantum initiative, launched in January.
“This is a part of a long-term strategy of the University of Maryland and the state of Maryland to really position College Park, Riverdale Park [and] the Discovery District as a leading hub in the nation for quantum technologies,” UMD’s Chief Strategy Officer for Economic Development Ken Ulman said.
Quantum research focuses on understanding physics at the smallest scale in order to advance computing, communication and sensing technologies. The center will support hardware and software development and work with government agencies, the university and other startups in the area, Microsoft Quantum Partner Charles Tahan said in a statement.
The center is a product of the DARPA Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, run through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Quantum technology companies can apply to the program and receive federal funding if selected.
Tahan added that the new center will “support hands-on research, test and evaluation activities, and provide direct access to DARPA’s test and evaluation team, enabling rapid prototyping, validation and benchmarking of quantum technologies in collaboration with federal programs.”
Researchers will start working in the coming months in the Discovery District, and the center is expected to open sometime next year.
College Park Mayor Fazlul Kabir said this new hub could help offset federal job losses among College Park residents that began early this year.
“This new facility will be adding more jobs to our area,” Kabir said. “We need more companies, more businesses to come into this area.”
Microsoft’s center will work to form deep collaborations with UMD students, faculty and researchers, Ulman said.
The Capital of Quantum initiative is a public-private partnership intended to drive more than $1 billion in investments in Maryland’s quantum industry. Since launching the initiative at the IonQ College Park headquarters in January, nearly a dozen quantum startups have been welcomed into the Discovery District, according to Moore’s press release.
“Maryland is making big bets on the future to grow our economy and drive innovation,” Moore said in a press release. “Quantum is at the center of that strategy.”
UMD President Darryll Pines said this is a “landmark moment” for the university and the state, according to the release. He said the center reflects years of quantum research and will power the next scientific breakthroughs.
“We are proud to work alongside Governor Moore, Microsoft and our federal partners to drive the next wave of quantum breakthroughs—and to do it right here in College Park,” Pines said in the release.