College Park, Md.--Acting on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to engage in a partnership with the Quantum Technology Center (QTC) at the University of Maryland.
QTC will supply the Department with technical information and input regarding the latest developments in quantum technologies and related enabling technologies. It will also facilitate discussions and networking on this developing technology with other U.S. government and industry partners.
“This partnership with a premier center of relevant scientific expertise will ensure Department initiatives are informed by a sound technical understanding of this emerging field,” said Mallory Stewart, Assistant Secretary for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance.
The Department of State plays a key role in advancing the United States’ national and economic security interests regarding critical and emerging technologies. As noted in the National Security Strategy, technology is central to today’s geopolitical competition and critical and emerging technologies will reshape economies, militaries and the world. To address this challenge, the Department will need to understand the convergence of quantum technologies with other technologies and forecast the global impact as the technology develops and is applied.
“I’m thrilled to work with the Department of State to aid their understanding of quantum technology and how it can address some of the toughest challenges society is facing today — and prepare for the challenges of tomorrow,” said Professor Ronald Walsworth, Director of the Quantum Technology Center at UMD. “I applaud the Department for recognizing the critical importance of this mission, and am honored that QTC will play a key partnership role.”
About QTC at UMD
A collaboration between UMD’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the A. James Clark School of Engineering, UMD’s Department of Physics in the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS), and the Army Research Lab, the Quantum Technology Center (QTC) was formed in 2019. QTC’s mission is to “Innovate, Translate, and Educate in Quantum Technology,” capitalizing on UMD’s strong research programs and partnerships in quantum science and systems engineering. QTC collaborates with industry and government labs to help transition promising quantum advances from the lab to the marketplace. QTC also trains students in the development and application of quantum technologies to produce a workforce educated in quantum-related engineering. For more information, visit https://qtc.umd.edu/.
For further information, on the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, please visit https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-arms-control-and-international-security-affairs/bureau-of-arms-control-verification-and-compliance/.