On September 13, 2023, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) announced up to NZ$12 million (approximately US$7.1 million) in government funding over five years for a new Quantum Technologies Research Program. The program, called Quantum Technologies Aotearoa (QTA), is led by Te Whai Ao, the Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies, and funded through MBIE’s Catalyst Strategic fund.
According to the MBIE announcement, the program will focus on increasing international connectivity and domestic capability in quantum technologies. Partner countries for initial collaboration include the United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore, the United States, and Germany. Australia is also identified as an important partner alongside New Zealand’s association to Horizon Europe.
MBIE Manager of International Science Partnerships Loveday Kempthorne said quantum technologies have potentially transformative applications in climate monitoring, drug discovery, medical imaging, materials sciences, and communication. Dodd-Walls Centre Director Professor Frederique Vanholsbeeck said the funding would help develop strategic capabilities and grow the workforce, with attention to Maori and Pasifika engagement within the quantum sector.