On September 28, 2018, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) signed a cooperative research and development agreement with SRI International to establish the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C). The consortium was created to expand U.S. leadership in global quantum research and development and the emerging quantum industry in computing, communications, and sensing.
According to NIST’s announcement, the QED-C would determine workforce needs for quantum technologies, provide public-private sector coordination, identify technology solutions for gaps in research or infrastructure, and highlight use cases and grand challenges to accelerate development. NIST Director Walter Copan stated that the consortium would “help build the supply chain for an industry that doesn’t yet exist.”
Members would collaborate on precompetitive research and development such as quantum device design and prototyping. The National Quantum Initiative Act, signed into law in December 2018, subsequently codified the consortium within NIST and gave the agency two years to report its recommendations for closing gaps in metrics, standards, and cybersecurity to Congress.