The Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), a nonprofit and nonpartisan initiative aimed at strengthening America's long-term competitiveness in artificial intelligence, has launched a new limited newsletter, Quantum States, that examines the geography of quantum innovation across the United States. The newsletter's release underscores a critical shift in quantum information science, engineering, and technologies (QISET) from laboratory research to real-world applications that are already influencing federal and private-sector strategies and finances.
Quantum 2.0, as the current phase is known, focuses on advances in photonics, microelectronics, and specialized materials, building on the foundational work of Quantum 1.0, which gave rise to lasers and transistors. As the United States seeks to accelerate its quantum capabilities, SCSP experts argue that a one-size-fits-all approach to ecosystem development is ineffective. Instead, they emphasize that "developing a robust ecosystem of quantum technologies is not a one-size-fits-all approach, in which local leadership is guaranteed by hosting the most companies within a region. Rather, it requires a cohesive, strategic effort leveraging strengths within that state."
To assess state-level progress, SCSP evaluated regions across metrics including cited quantum information science research, patents, the volume of both pure-play and quantum-enabling companies, the number of military research facilities, breadth of the full quantum stack (computing, sensing, and networking), and quantum-related job openings. California currently leads in most aspects of Quantum 2.0, including industrial capacity, talent pipelines, and market ecosystems. Other established hubs include New York, Illinois, Colorado, Maryland, and Massachusetts. Meanwhile, Texas, North Carolina, and Florida are emerging as potential players, driven by high numbers of PhDs awarded and the presence of quantum research centers at many of their academic institutions.
The SCSP experts note that "the most successful quantum states build strong synergies between pillars of a quantum ecosystem: academia, NIST, national labs, startups, and private industry." True quantum hubs, they argue, emerge where industry, academia, and government actively connect. This place-based approach has significant implications for U.S. competitiveness. As quantum technologies mature, the states that successfully integrate these pillars will likely attract investment, talent, and federal partnerships, shaping the nation's quantum landscape for years to come.
For more information and future editions of the Quantum States newsletter, visit scsp.ai.
