Credit: iStock/Bartlomiej Wroblewski

By: Marlon Walker and David Boulay

The subject matter is incredibly complex, but the “ask” itself was simple. David Boulay, the director of the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC), part of the MEP National Network^™, wanted to learn more about quantum technology.

His two-part ask of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was:

1. How can Illinois manufacturers position themselves to manufacture the components and parts needed for this innovative technology? 
2. How can the U.S. help develop a robust quantum supply chain?

Shortly after David reached out to NIST, Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker announced a proposal to allocate $500 million toward the advancement of quantum technology. The proposal included developing a state-of-the-art quantum campus that demonstrates the state’s commitment to designing, testing, and packaging at the intersection of the semiconductor industry and quantum information technology. The 150-acre campus would be the largest technology project in state history at an estimated development cost of about $20 billion. This proposed investment in quantum technology by his home state governor added a sense of urgency to David’s ask.

The state of Illinois is not alone in positioning itself for advancements in quantum computing. Other key players in moving quantum technology forward include:

• The Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) – A consortium of stakeholders that aims to enable and grow the quantum industry. QED-C was established with support from NIST as part of the federal strategy for advancing quantum information science and as called for by the 2018 National Quantum Initiative Act.
• SRI – An American nonprofit scientific research institute that employs more than 2,000 people and brings innovations and ideas to the marketplace
• The Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE) – Provides an avenue for developing and fostering collaborations, joint projects, and information exchange. The CQE “brings together member institutions’ intellectual talents, research capabilities, and engineering capacities in a powerful collaborative effort to advance quantum science. Together, the universities and national laboratories have more than 210 researchers in various areas of quantum information technology.”

What is quantum technology, and why the interest?

Quantum technology is a somewhat broad category that includes:

• Quantum computing, which, if realized, could solve certain problems much faster than classical computers, with potential applications in drug discovery, materials science, financial modeling, and many others. 
• Quantum sensors, which have unprecedented sensitivity with applications in medical imaging, navigation, and geophysical exploration. 
• Quantum communication, which features advanced encryption and will enable more secure information sharing across public and private sector networks.

Making these technologies more widely available could unlock the potential for new areas of large-scale R&D and ultimately new business applications. It would allow scientists and engineers to experiment and push the boundaries of what’s possible. 

Just like any emerging technology, quantum advancements rely on specialized instruments to manipulate and measure quantum systems. These complex instruments require a robust supply chain to support their production. The U.S. is competing to develop quantum technologies, and a strong manufacturing base is seen as a strategic advantage. In essence, building a strong supply chain for quantum instrumentation creates the tools needed for the next technological revolution.

Boulay wanted to learn about the capabilities needed to create a supply chain for the required components and products. To identify potential suppliers that could participate in this newly emerging supply chain, he turned to the MEP-Assisted Technology and Technical Resource (MATTR) service.

How MATTR serves as a bridge from labs to manufacturers

One of the challenges for U.S. manufacturers is being able to develop or adopt technological innovations in a cost-effective manner. R&D can be expensive and time-consuming. Early-stage R&D often results in technology that confirms the proof of concept for an application or process, but it can be a long journey from producing a result in a lab to establishing reproducible, manufacturable, and scalable products and processes. That’s where MATTR comes in.

The MATTR service acts as a bridge between manufacturers and the labs at NIST. MEP Centers can make a MATTR request on behalf of their manufacturing clients. With that connection, manufacturers can access the vast technical expertise of NIST researchers and scientists. The labs house a wide range of expertise in areas such as materials research, additive manufacturing, and emerging technologies such as quantum computing.

The experts at NIST labs can help identify potential roadblocks in scaling up production and provide technical insights on how to design and implement processes that can be expanded on to meet future growth demands. In essence, MATTR leverages the extensive knowledge found in NIST labs to empower manufacturers, ultimately fostering the development of innovative new products and technologies.

In this case, Boulay leveraged NIST’s technical expertise not to solve a specific problem for a specific company but to get a glimpse of what this new industry would look like and how Illinois companies could position themselves for this emerging opportunity. MATTR can help articulate what it will take to create capabilities or for manufacturers to reorganize their capabilities to build or supply parts for laser systems, insulators, and liquid helium for bio-coolers needed for quantum technologies.

Understanding what is needed and mapping capabilities

IMEC works with key stakeholders such as the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Intersect Illinois, and World Business Chicago to understand the supply chain required for quantum computing. It’s similar in nature to what the same group of stakeholders has done for semiconductor chips and electric vehicle batteries.

A logical next step is supply chain mapping, which answers the fundamental questions about this complex technology: What are the component parts, and what will it take to make them? Who might be capable of making them? Who can afford to invest?

Prototyping quantum instrumentation involves design, fabrication, characterization, assembly, packaging, testing, and validation. However, the technology itself is a new territory. While facilities that support researchers, such as those at universities and national labs, enable early-stage development, they are not ideal for establishing reproducible, manufacturable, and scalable products and processes.

A key step moving forward is identifying which manufacturers could be engineering redesigns and making investments to become part of the quantum instrumentation supply chain.

MATTR is a way to access world-class NIST technical expertise, whether it is to help manufacturers find suitable solutions to their real-world problems or provide insight into the emergence of an entirely new technology. Contact your local MEP Center to learn how your manufacturing enterprise can benefit from the MATTR service.

This blog originally appeared here.