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Following the announcement of a US$2 billion federal incentive for Quantum Technology (QT) by the United States (US) Department of Commerce (DoC) in May 2026, the Trump administration has doubled down, signing two executive orders — one on Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) migration, and the other on the broader advancement of the US Quantum Information Science and Technology (QIST) ecosystem. This has been accompanied by the announcement of the ‘Quantum Genesis’ initiative by the US Department of Energy (DoE), as well as a multi-phase quantum sensing initiative by the Department of War’s Defence Innovation Unit (DIU). Taken together, this host of measures constitutes Washington’s most significant step towards QT advancement since the enactment of the National Quantum Initiative Act (NQIA) in 2018 and clearly signals the US’s intent to establish itself as the definitive global leader in the field.
More importantly, this marks a landmark moment in the history of the technology. One of the primary issues these initiatives aim to address is building viable pathways to commercial applicability, which remains the main obstacle to progress in QT. As such, they will play a decisive role in unlocking the technology’s true potential and shaping its future course.
The Department of Commerce’s Announcement
On 21 May 2026, the US DoC announced a US$2.013 billion federal incentive for QT companies under the CHIPS and Science Act. As part of this, it signed nine letters of intent: seven with quantum computing (QC) companies, and two with domestic quantum foundry companies, as detailed in the table below.
Table 1: Funding Disbursement for Each Company
Company
Funding (in USD)
Purpose
IBM
1 billion
Establishing a new quantum foundry subsidiary focused on superconducting quantum wafer fabrication.
GlobalFoundries
375 million
Establishing a domestic quantum foundry for multiple QC modalities, including superconducting, trapped ion, photonic, topological, and spin qubits.
Atom Computing
100 million
Hardware development and scaling for neutral atom-based quantum computers.
D-Wave
100 million
Advancements in annealing and superconducting quantum computers.
Infleqtion
100 million
Advancements in large-scale neutral atom-based quantum computers.
PsiQuantum
100 million
Addressing key challenges in photonic quantum computing.
Quantinuum
100 million
Addressing key challenges in scaling trapped-ion-based quantum computers.
Rigetti
100 million
Addressing key challenges in scaling superconducting quantum computers.
Diraq
38 million
Addressing key challenges in developing and advancing silicon spin quantum computing technologies.
Source: NIST (2026)
To ensure accountability, the DoC has decided to acquire a minority stake in each recipient company as a condition for disbursing the funds. The incentives are designed to support a portfolio approach that simultaneously develops domestic capabilities across multiple quantum computing (QC) modalities while addressing critical hardware and engineering challenges. They also broadly align with other leading US initiatives, such as DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, which involves many of the same companies.
Trump’s Executive Orders
Following the DoC’s announcement, President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on June 22, 2026.
I. Executive Order 14412
The first order, titled ‘Securing the Nation Against Advanced Cryptographic Attacks’, aims to aggressively mitigate the risks posed by large-scale Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computers (CRQCs) to existing encryption protocols that provide cryptographic security across a wide range of applications. To do so, it lays out a slew of measures aimed at accelerating the transition to Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), a set of algorithms resistant to attacks by both CRQCs and classical computers. The order rests on three key pillars — coordination, acceleration, and procurement — in implementing the PQC transition. Some key provisions include:
All agencies under 44 U.S.C. § 3502(1) are required to review their inventory of high-value assets (HVAs) and high-impact systems (excluding National Security Systems, which have separate provisions). They are further mandated to complete the transition to PQC for these systems — covering key establishment and digital signatures — by 31 December 2030 and 31 December 2031, respectively.
Relevant agencies are required to identify key foreign governments that can be encouraged to transition to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-approved PQC standards.
Public guidance will be released on the minimum elements required for a cryptographic bill of materials — a tool that will enable the ‘automated assessment of the cryptographic assets utilised by a software or hardware element.’
NIST’s “Cryptographic Module Validation Program” will be revised and updated to accelerate validations of cryptographic modules.
The Federal Acquisition Requirements (FAR) will be amended and modified in order to ensure a smooth transition to NIST’s PQC (or FIPS) standards, in addition to identifying cost-saving measures in implementing national PQC migration.
II. Executive Order 14413
The second order, titled ‘Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation’, constitutes a holistic measure towards fortifying US QT supply chains, alongside accelerating commercialisation and deployment across all key categories of QT: quantum computing, communication (or networking), and sensing — thereby cementing the US as the global leader in QT. It also entails technology protection measures, expansion of the QT workforce, and enhancement of international engagement strategies. Some key provisions include:
The establishment of the Quantum Computer for Application Development and Discovery Science (QC-ADDS) initiative, which aims to develop at least one large-scale quantum computer which enables practical scientific applications by utilising a public-private partnership model.
The prioritisation of “at least three next-generation quantum sensor projects” with the intent of fielding them by 30 September 2028, alongside the development of a 5-year plan for advancing quantum sensing and networking.
Targeted measures advancing the development and scaling of QT hardware supply chains by invoking private sector participation accompanied by robust security measures meant to protect intellectual property (IP) and national security interests.
Targeted measures for tracking the national QT workforce statistics with the intent of expanding it through post-secondary training opportunities.
Expanding international collaborations with like-minded nations through both bilateral and multilateral engagements, such as the Pax Silica initiative.
The two executive orders have been accompanied by the announcement of two significant initiatives by the DoE and DIU. On 23 June 2026, the US DoE announced the Quantum Genesis initiative, which, in line with Executive Order 14413, aims to develop the world’s first fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2028. Simultaneously, the DIU announced a multi-phase US$200 million initiative called ‘Farseer,’ intended to provide next-generation quantum sensing capabilities to the US Joint Force.
Implications for the Future of QT
The aforementioned initiatives highlight a targeted push by Washington to cement the US as a global leader in QT in the near future, employing a holistic approach through a host of development, scaling, and protection measures to rapidly commercialise the technology. This is particularly relevant given China’s existing dominance over critical mineral supply chains, as well as its gradually emerging eminence in QT hardware supply chains.
This is particularly relevant given China’s existing dominance over critical mineral supply chains, as well as its gradually emerging eminence in QT hardware supply chains.
Consequently, the majority of these measures are strategically aimed at countering China’s growing prowess in QT — without which, the US risks being overtaken by a rapidly evolving Chinese QT ecosystem. Far from being a competition for mere technological superiority, this could carry broader military implications, given the dual-use nature of quantum technologies (QT).
Moreover, though the US has established itself as a prominent player in QT R&D, it has yet to achieve commercial scalability in quantum hardware. The renewed push towards QT advancement could prove to be a game-changer in this regard.
Beyond advancing the US’s domestic QT ecosystem, these measures are also likely to have profound implications for the technology’s broader trajectory. QT is widely expected to shape a significant share of future technological development, even if its exact path continues to evolve, propelling a technology which is almost certain to define the future of the human race. From redefining digital simulations to drastically augmenting navigation capabilities, QT holds the promise of altering existing technologies at a fundamental level. In this context, the US’s renewed push could play a significant role in shaping the trajectory of quantum technology in the near term.
Prateek Tripathi is an Associate Fellow at the Centre for Security, Strategy and Technology (CSST), Observer Research Foundation.
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