Australia’s Labor party promises $3m for quantum technology PhDs should it win federal elections

(IT.News.australia) Australia’s Labor party has promised to “grow” Australia’s quantum technology industry by investing $3 million in PhD research should it win the federal election on Saturday. IQT-News shares this development

Shadow defence minister Brendon O’Connor and shadow assistant minister for cyber security Tim Watts announced the funding late on Wednesday.
“Graduate research is the raw fuel that powers a nation’s domestic quantum industry – the quantum PhD students of today are the start-up founders and commercial pioneers of tomorrow,” the pair said.
O’Connor and Watts pointed to long-term investments by past Labor governments, including the Rudd government’s $40m investment in the Sydney Nanonscience Hub, for Australia “comparative advantage in quantum technology”.
A further $1 million will be invested to “kickstart national collaboration on quantum research and education, based on the successful Sydney Quantum Academy model”. The Sydney Quantum Academy is a partnership between Macquarie University, UNSW, the University of Sydney and UTS, and the state government.
“Quantum technology promises breakthroughs in weapons, communications, sensing and computing technology including for military use, and the potential for strategic advantage has spurred a major increase in funding and research and development… overseas.”
O’Connor and Watts pointed to long-term investments by past Labor governments, including the Rudd government’s $40m investment in the Sydney Nanonscience Hub, for Australia “comparative advantage in quantum technology”.

Sandra K. Helsel, Ph.D. has been researching and reporting on frontier technologies since 1990.  She has her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona.