In January 2023, the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) announced the formation of a new quantum computing consortium with a budget of NIS 115 million (~USD 33 million) over three years, described as the largest consortium in the authority’s history. The announcement was covered by The Jerusalem Post.
Five Israeli companies joined the consortium: Israel Aerospace Industries’ ELTA Systems division, Quantum Art, Classiq, Qedma, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. Academic partners included groups from the Hebrew University, Weizmann Institute, Bar-Ilan University, the Technion, and Soroka Medical Center.
According to the IIA, the consortium focused on two quantum hardware tracks: trapped ions led by Quantum Art and the Weizmann Institute, and superconducting circuits led by IAI-ELTA, Hebrew University, and Bar-Ilan University. A third software track was led by Qedma and Classiq. IIA CEO Dror Bin called quantum computing “potentially the most disruptive technology today.”