AFRL Awarded $5.25 M to 23 Small Businesses at Virtual ‘Quantum Collider Pitch’

(DaytonDailyNews) The Air Force Research Laboratory awarded $5.25 million to 23 small businesses during a first-of-its-kind virtual quantum collider pitch event in June.
“The U.S. military is leading the acceleration of quantum research and development as first adopters for this fundamental technology to move the ball forward,” said Dr. Michael Hayduk, deputy director of AFRL’s Information Directorate. “Quantum will lead to technologies that will transform the war-fighting domain in revolutionary and unprecedented ways.”
During his introductory speech, Dr. Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, explained that this pitch event represents a fundamental shift in how the Air Force leverages its Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program by enabling accelerated timelines for bridging public and private partnerships to accelerate foundational research areas, such as quantum computing.