The Trump administration's move, according to U.S. Commerce Department official Letnick, aims to usher in a new era of American innovation.
The U.S. government is set to provide a total of $2 billion in subsidies to nine quantum computing companies, with the government simultaneously acquiring equity stakes in these firms.
The U.S. Commerce Department has officially announced that the Trump administration will distribute $2 billion in support funds across nine quantum computing companies. The collaboration agreements include provisions for the U.S. government to take equity stakes.
This initiative is designed to accelerate the government's support for the emerging quantum industry. In recent months, capital markets and major corporations have already increased their investments in the quantum sector.
Of the total funding, $1 billion will be allocated to industry leader International Business Machines (IBM). Quantum computers, which operate on quantum mechanics principles, far surpass the computational speed of traditional supercomputers. Combined with synergistic developments in artificial intelligence, quantum computing can significantly accelerate scientific research, leading the Trump administration to view it as a core strategic industry vital to economic development and national security.
Companies like IBM are intensively developing specialized chips for quantum computing, which is also a key focus area for the U.S. government in strengthening the domestic chip supply chain.
Semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries will receive $375 million in support. The majority of other companies will each receive $1 billion, with only the startup Dirac Plan set to receive $38 million.
The approved companies span multiple quantum technology development paths, including publicly traded firms D-Wave Quantum, Rigetti Computing, and IonQ.
The final agreements for these funding collaborations are still pending finalization.
This support funding originates from the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which allocates专项资金 for supporting early-stage frontier technology projects.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Letnick has completed internal departmental restructuring to promote increased domestic investment by semiconductor companies. Notably, the department previously acquired a nearly 10% stake in Intel, a rare move that led to a significant rise in Intel's stock price following the transaction.
Under the collaboration terms, the U.S. government will acquire minority stakes in each quantum company. The government has previously employed a similar equity model with companies like rare-earth magnet firm Vulcan Elements and mining company MP Materials. The Commerce Department has not yet disclosed specific stake percentages or detailed equity structures.
Letnick stated in a declaration: "The Trump administration is leading globally, opening a new era of innovation for America."
According to informed sources, the U.S. government is also drafting a specific executive order targeting the quantum industry. With recent breakthroughs in quantum technology, tech giants such as Microsoft and Google have also entered the field with substantial investments, continuously attracting capital influx.
Senior officials at the Commerce Department noted that the development environment for the quantum industry has significantly improved, with clearer paths for technology commercialization.
Previous reports indicated that the Commerce Department had already been in discussions with multiple quantum companies regarding funding support and equity stakes.
Some technology analysts argue that frontier industries like quantum computing carry excessive risk for direct government equity investment. However, Letnick believes the current collaboration plan is reasonably designed and will ultimately yield tangible benefits for American taxpayers. Commerce Department officials also acknowledged that the government's diversified investment across multiple companies is intended to spread risk, as such frontier investments often require several years to show concrete results.
Dana Goward, head of a nonprofit focused on satellite navigation, commented: "Everyone is optimistic about quantum technology as a core future sector, but most industry expectations and development visions have not yet materialized." Industry analysts suggest quantum technology has the potential to entirely replace existing GPS positioning systems in the future.
Executives from various quantum companies stated that with continuous funding injections and the emergence of research achievements like high-performance chips, the technology development cycle in the quantum field is being significantly shortened.
In a March interview, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna remarked: "The development of quantum technology is now accelerating dramatically, comparable to the stage of the AI chip industry a decade ago."
Other quantum startups receiving support include: Atom Computing, PsiQuantum, and Quantinuum.
