The first-of-its-kind global convening will connect the world’s quantum ecosystem in the nation’s capital
May 11, 2022 (Washington, D.C.)—Today, Connected DMV announced the inaugural Quantum World Congress, a first-of-its-kind global quantum conference, exposition and networking series, will occur November 29–December 1, 2022, in Washington, D.C. at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. The annual Quantum World Congress will establish Greater Washington as the go-to destination and meeting place for quantum technology visionaries, policymakers, researchers, business and investment leaders and students. The event will attract a cross-sector and multi-disciplinary audience and will showcase major trends in quantum solutions, research, education, workforce, thought leadership, policy, business and investment.
“Quantum will soon deliver innovations that will transform how the world lives, works, and learns,” said Stu Solomon, President and CEO, Connected DMV. “With a rapidly expanding quantum ecosystem, world-renowned universities, company headquarters, industry and technology leaders and policymakers, there’s no better place to assemble the world’s quantum leaders than in the nation’s capital. The Quantum World Congress represents another key milestone in our work to accelerate a quantum innovation growth cluster to drive equitable economic development in this region and beyond.”
This announcement closely aligns with President Biden’s May 4 announcement of two presidential directives advancing U.S. leadership in the promising field of quantum science and technology whose breakthroughs “are poised to generate entirely new industries, good-paying jobs, and economic opportunities for all Americans:” the Executive Order on Enhancing the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee and the National Security Memorandum on Promoting United States Leadership in Quantum Computing While Mitigating Risks to Vulnerable Cryptographic Systems. Among other things, the latter calls for strengthening U.S. government partnerships with industry, academia and global allies and partners, a key aim of the Quantum World Congress.
The Quantum World Congress focuses on pitching a big tent to spotlight the transformational impact quantum science and technology will have across global industry, government and society. The event brings investors, industry and technology together with the aim to develop a world-class business conference as quantum technologies and markets mature and clear solutions are deployed over time. Quantum World Congress will also showcase and leverage the growing quantum ecosystem in Greater Washington—with its proximity to the federal government—to accelerate the value of the growing quantum industry globally and help establish this region as the premier global hub for the next generation of quantum talent and workforce, leadership, innovation and economic development.
The Quantum World Congress contains the following program tracks:
Main Hall & Plenary: Visionary, big-ticket presentations on technology, business, policy and societal implications
Science & Engineering: Deep research content and enterprise speakers across quantum computing, sensing, communications and materials
Market Acceleration: Sessions on markets and innovation; startup ecosystems; industry and use cases; talent and workforce; funding and investment; ethics and society; policy, regulations and standards; and international collaboration
Government & Security: Dedicated breakouts on federal government engagement, national security and cybersecurity
Business Development: Expo Hall, show floor demonstrations and structured networking
Pre-Event Day: Training, Workshops, Site Visits: Student spotlighting, quantum awareness and deep learning sessions, digital credentialing, quantum network organization meetings and workshops, off-site tours to quantum stakehyland and Virginia
"The Quantum World Congress builds upon the University of Maryland’s efforts to establish our region as the Capital of Quantum. We aim to leverage the many global and U.S. partnerships we have developed over the last several decades and partner in new and exciting ways in producing the technical, policy and workforce developments required to deliver on the promise of the Second Quantum Revolution,” said Dr. Darryll J. Pines, President, University of Maryland.
“The Quantum World Congress is a perfect example of what we are trying to do as a destination marketing organization and economic development organization: attract influential international meetings and events that can benefit from the greater Washington region’s robust industry resources, pipeline of talent and intellectual capital. We look forward to working with Connected DMV and stakeholders on this initial event that will contribute to DC’s recovery landscape next fall. From an economic standpoint, international meetings are crucial to the local economy as overseas travelers tend to stay longer and spend more, benefiting the region as whole,” said Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO of Destination DC.
To learn more, visit www.quantumworldcongress.com.
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About Connected DMV
Connected DMV is an initiatives-based, charitable 501(c)(3) organization that works with regional organizations across Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia – the DMV – to help drive ongoing improvements to social, digital, and physical infrastructure. Connected DMV focuses on initiatives that span local jurisdictions and require public-private-academia-community collaboration to best achieve the dual objectives of enduring economic health and social equity. Learn more: https://www.connecteddmv.org/
The Potomac Quantum Innovation Center is an initiative launched and staffed by Connected DMV. PQIC’s mission is to bring together Greater Washington’s quantum stakeholders across borders and sectors to drive innovation, talent development, economic growth, and positive social impact. To achieve maximum regional impact, PQIC collaborates with many public sector, academic, industry, and nonprofit collaborators through its focus on five pillars: education and workforce, research and development, market acceleration, policy and standards, and funding and marketing. PQIC partners with the UMD’s Mid-Atlantic Quantum Alliance (MQA), the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C), and the Quantum Industry Coalition (QIC), among others, to prepare the DMV for the coming quantum transformation and prepare our regional for global leadership. Learn more: https://www.pqic.org/
About Destination DC
Destination DC, the official destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital, is a private, non-profit membership organization of 1,000 businesses committed to marketing the area as a premier global convention, tourism and special events destination with a special emphasis on the arts, cultural and historic communities. Learn more: washington.org
About the University of Maryland (UMD)
UMD is Maryland’s flagship land grant university, one of the nation's preeminent public research universities, and a global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, with more than 40,700 students, 14,000 faculty and staff, and nearly 400,000 alumni all dedicated to the pursuit of Fearless Ideas. UMD is a top five global quantum research and development university with 200+ quantum scientists, and eight interdisciplinary quantum centers and is the birthplace of IonQ, the first pureplay quantum computing company to go public in an IPO (in October 2021). Learn more: https://quantum.umd.edu/
About the Mid-Atlantic Quantum Alliance (MQA)
MQA was formally launched in January 2020 to accelerate quantum science and engineering to enhance the region’s primacy in a field that promises to revolutionize society. This alliance, facilitated by the University of Maryland, brings together over 200 working group members across 14 universities, 5 U.S. Government research centers / labs, 6 Fortune 500 companies, and 5 startups with the mission to serve as an inclusive forum for its members to engage and collaborate with each other on education, global thought leadership, and building a vibrant and diverse ecosystem to support quantum innovation. MQA has collaborated closely with Connected DMV and its Potomac Quantum Innovation Center (PQIC) in joint ecosystem-building efforts around Greater Washington and the larger Mid-Atlantic region. Together, MQA and PQIC have created a shared vision and a framework for fostering cooperation across a wide range of stakeholders to ensure the region remains a world-leader in equitable quantum research, education, engineering, and application. MQA will lead the Quantum World Congress Science & Engineering track. Learn more: https://mqa.umd.edu/
About George Mason University (GMU)
George Mason University is Virginia’s largest, most diverse, and most innovative public research university, serving 39,000 students at its Virginia campuses in Fairfax, Arlington, and Manassas, as well as in South Korea. Mason prides itself on its mix of broadly inclusive enrollment and excellence in education, which result in graduation rates higher than most American universities with comparable rates of academic success across all demographics. Mason’s Arlington campus, recently renamed Mason Square, is undergoing a $250 million transformation over the next five years with the addition of Fuse, a public-private building that will combine research, instruction, business incubation, and public spaces. It will serve as the anchor of the Rosslyn-Ballston innovation corridor, the first-of-its kind in Virginia. Fuse at Mason Square will be Mason’s epicenter to advance quantum computing research and education, including the Institute of Digital Innovation and the Quantum Science and Engineering Center. Learn more: https://qsec.gmu.edu/
About Howard University
To date, Howard has awarded more than 120,000 degrees in the arts, the sciences, and the humanities, to more on-campus African American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. The National Science Foundation has ranked Howard as the top producer of African American undergraduates who later earn science and engineering doctoral degrees. Howard recently announced the IBM-HBCU Quantum Center to prepare and develop talent at HBCUs from all STEM disciplines for the quantum future. Learn more: https://howard.edu/
About The MITRE Corporation
MITRE is a private, non-for-profit working at the intersection of advanced technology and vital global concerns to provide engineering, technical guidance, and data driven policy recommendations for the federal government in the service of the public good. With a historic focus on complex Public-Private partnerships and integration to address emerging challenges, MITRE has significant research programs and facilities in the DMV. MITRE, through its Labs, federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs), tech foundation, and data-driven policy center, is deeply engaged in the application of quantum research and development of applied sciences as an engine of innovation and economic development. Learn more: https://www.mitre.org/
About the National Quantum Literacy Network (NQLN)
NQLN is a 501(c)3 nonprofit social enterprise, based in the Washington DC region, representing a broad coalition of business, government, nonprofits, and academic organizations. Its mission is to help build new skills and increase quantum workforce opportunities through greater participation from historically underserved communities in the Second Quantum Revolution. NQLN is bringing together industry, education, and government to develop new skills building systems targeting the unique learning requirements of communities mostly excluded from our technology wealth. NQLN aims to fill a critical gap in the quantum workforce supply chain by engaging students from K-16 and beyond, from under-resourced and underrepresented communities. NQLN runs the National Quantum Literacy Week and focuses on solutions for quantum literacy. NQLN also aims to raise a dedicated development fund from government, philanthropy, and corporate workforce development partners to empower success for new learners and diverse communities and is poised to announce the five-year plan for “Quantum Literacy through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Workforce Development.” NQLN seeks to develop a diverse, domestic quantum literate workforce for the United States, through the process of micro-credential certification and innovative training technologies to leverage the broad range of skills needed to effectively compete in the global quantum industries marketplace. NQLN received an NSF grant to work with the University of the District of Columbia Community College (UDC-CC) in working to develop the nation's first associate degree program in quantum literacy. Learn more: https://quantumliteracy.org/
About the Quantum Industry Coalition (QIC)
QIC is based in Washington, DC, and comprised of more than twenty leading quantum industry members. QIC seeks to enable the quantum industry to speak with one voice to promote its shared priorities for real-world quantum applications and US quantum industry commercial success and international competitiveness. Learn more: https://www.quantumindustrycoalition.com/
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