Funding to create a national centre to support and grow the Australian quantum industry

The grant will provide funding to create a centre that will undertake industry growth activities to catalyse industry growth, support collaborative research and strengthen Australia’s position as a global quantum leader.

The program was announced as part of the National Quantum Strategy and is an element of the Growing Australia’s Critical Technologies Industries budget measure announced in the 2023-2024 budget.

The Australian Centre for Quantum Growth (the Centre) will establish itself as a strongly branded, single ‘front door’ for the quantum industry and broader quantum ecosystem in Australia. The Centre will build genuine, strategic and lasting relationships spanning industry, research, consumer and government stakeholders to drive innovation and translation. It will accelerate the growth of the quantum industry in Australia and increase Australia’s global competitiveness by supporting greater collaboration and coordination of research and development, focusing on industry-led solutions that boost the adoption and diffusion of technologies across Australian and international markets.

The Centre will build awareness and promote quantum technologies and their applications to end users. It will also ensure ethics and security are a foundation of the Australian quantum ecosystem by promoting ethical technology adoption and awareness.

The objectives of the program are to establish a Centre that:

• grows the Australian quantum industry and promotes collaboration in quantum technologies so as to foster interstate and international trade and commerce
• facilitates improved coordination of research and development with a focus on industry-led solutions
• educates industry and end users on the opportunities presented by quantum technologies and their numerous applications
• promotes the ethical and secure adoption and development of the quantum industry
• deepens Australia’s relationships with key international partners, enabling the transfer of knowledge and capital, whilst retaining ownership of our sovereign Intellectual Property
• fosters gender equality and First Nations Peoples’ participation in the industry.

Learn more about the National Quantum Strategy.

The successful applicant for the Australian Centre for Quantum Growth (ACQG) program is:

Grant recipient: The University of Sydney

Project title: Quantum Australia

Project information: Quantum Australia will deliver three programs meeting all objectives and outcomes of the ACQG program. The Quantum Ecosystem Development program will deliver a deeply connected quantum stakeholder landscape with improved understanding of the potential for quantum technologies. The Translation Accelerator program will grow the Australian quantum industry, unlock new use-cases for quantum technology, increase industry-academic research partnerships, and help grow the quantum workforce. The Entrepreneurship Support program will attract quantum entrepreneurs nationwide and internationally, supporting them on their journey from experts to founders. Programs such as our Quantum Safe Industry workshop, IP roundtable, and Elevating Quantum Women’s Voices will ensure an equitable, ethical, and secure quantum ecosystem with opportunities for all Australians.

Grant amount (ex GST): $18,368,250