Northwest Quantum Nexus
Northwest Quantum Signal · March 23, 2026
The Northwest Quantum Nexus (NQN) connects quantum researchers, industry leaders, policymakers, and investors across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and the Northwest to advance quantum technology, build a quantum-ready workforce, and position the region as a global hub for quantum innovation.
SAVE THE DATE --- Northwest Quantum Day
April 14, 2026 · K&L Gates, 925 4th Ave, Seattle, WA · 9am--3pm
On April 14, K&L Gates will host the Northwest Quantum Nexus for a focused program exploring how quantum technologies are moving from research into real business use. The event brings together industry leaders, policymakers, investors, and regional stakeholders to discuss enterprise quantum engagement, cloud and hybrid computing infrastructure, investment and commercialization, and regional workforce development.
Register at lu.ma/eu33k4nr
📍 NORTHWEST
PNNL Partners with NVIDIA to Bring GPU Acceleration to Quantum at GTC 2026
March 18, 2026 · Richland, WA
The Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory announced an open-source framework integrating NVIDIA NVQLink to tightly couple GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips with FPGA-based quantum measurement and control systems. Announced at NVIDIA GTC 2026, the collaboration aims to lower barriers for quantum researchers who need faster, more precise classical-quantum feedback loops than cloud-based services provide. PNNL researchers noted the work directly supports the quantum community's goal of achieving practical quantum calculations within five years. The project reinforces the Pacific Northwest's standing as a hub for quantum-classical integration research.
PNNL: Open-Source GPU Acceleration for Quantum via NVIDIA NVQLink
Senators Cantwell and Moran Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Quantum and AI Workforce Programs
March 2026 · Washington, D.C.
Washington's Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, joined Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) to introduce the bipartisan NSF AI Education Act, directing the National Science Foundation to expand undergraduate and graduate scholarships, STEM fellowships, and K-12 guidance covering quantum computing and artificial intelligence. The bill also calls for NSF to establish Centers of Excellence at community colleges focused on AI and quantum workforce readiness. The legislation reflects Washington state's continued role as a center of gravity for federal quantum and technology policy, with Senator Cantwell having championed quantum investment since the passage of the National Quantum Initiative.
Senate Commerce Committee: Cantwell, Moran Introduce Bill to Boost AI and Quantum Education
🇺🇸 NATIONAL
Horizon Quantum Computing Raises $120M, Begins Trading on Nasdaq
March 20, 2026 · United States / Singapore
Horizon Quantum Computing completed its merger with dMY Squared Technology Group and began trading on Nasdaq under the ticker "HQ" on March 20, 2026, generating approximately $120 million in gross proceeds. The quantum software infrastructure company, founded by former Oxford and NUS professor Dr. Joseph Fitzsimons, plans to use the capital to accelerate R&D and expand its hardware testbed for its Triple Alpha integrated development environment. Horizon's Nasdaq listing is the latest in a series of quantum company public offerings in early 2026, signaling growing investor confidence in near-term commercial quantum software.
Horizon Quantum Closes Business Combination with dMY Squared, Lists on Nasdaq
SEEQC Demonstrates Integrated Quantum Control Logic at 10 mK in Scaling Breakthrough
March 21, 2026 · Elmsford, NY
SEEQC announced a breakthrough in quantum scalability, successfully operating a full-stack quantum computer with integrated digital control logic at 10 millikelvin---the same temperature as the qubits themselves---without introducing disruptive interference. The result addresses a longstanding challenge in superconducting quantum computing: how to co-locate classical control circuitry with qubits at cryogenic temperatures. The demonstration is seen as a key enabler for scaling toward larger, commercially viable quantum processors and reduces the reliance on room-temperature control electronics that currently limit qubit counts.
SEEQC Quantum Scaling Breakthrough: Full-Stack at 10 mK
Ohio Senate Considers Bill to Create Frontier Technologies and Quantum Commission
March 2026 · Columbus, OH
The Ohio Senate is considering legislation to establish a bipartisan Frontier Technologies and Quantum Commission tasked with studying quantum computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and robotics --- and delivering policy recommendations to the General Assembly by end of 2026. The bill, sponsored by State Rep. Heidi Workman and passed unanimously by the Ohio House, would seat nine members drawn from the House, Senate, and Governor's office to hear expert testimony and guide future state legislation. Ohio's move mirrors similar commission efforts underway in other states as legislatures work to position their economies ahead of the quantum transition.
StateScoop: Ohio Senate Considers Bill to Form Frontier Technologies and Quantum Commission
Oxford Physicist Argues Quantum Computers May Never Break RSA Encryption
March 19, 2026 · Oxford, UK
Oxford physicist Tim Palmer published a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences proposing "Rational Quantum Mechanics," a theoretical framework suggesting quantum computers face a hard ceiling around 1,000 qubits --- below the estimated 4,099 needed to crack RSA encryption. Palmer argues the mathematical space underlying quantum systems is fundamentally discrete rather than continuous, meaning a quantum computer's useful information content grows linearly, not exponentially, with qubit count. The theory remains speculative and highly contested among quantum physicists, but its appearance in a leading peer-reviewed journal has prompted fresh debate among cryptographers and policymakers weighing the urgency of post-quantum cryptography migration.
Gizmodo: Quantum Computers Will Tap Out Before Breaking Encryption, Theory Claims
🌍 INTERNATIONAL
UK Announces £2 Billion "Quantum Leap" Investment Programme
March 17, 2026 · United Kingdom
The UK government announced a £2 billion quantum investment package on March 17, including a first-of-its-kind £1 billion "ProQure" procurement programme that will invite companies to deliver state-of-the-art quantum computer prototypes for government evaluation. An additional £1 billion over four years covers technology development, skills, and facilities. Officials said the investment aims to make the UK the first nation to deploy quantum computers at scale by the early 2030s, targeting economic impact equivalent to adding the combined GDP of Wales and Northern Ireland. The announcement raises the stakes for U.S. and allied competitiveness in the global quantum race.
UK Government: "Quantum Leap" --- £2 Billion Quantum Investment Announcement
Xanadu SPAC Merger Approved; Photonic Quantum Firm Targets $302M Raise for Nasdaq Listing
March 19, 2026 · Toronto, Canada
Xanadu Quantum Technologies' SPAC merger with Crane Harbor Acquisition Corp was approved by shareholders on March 19, positioning the Canadian firm to become the first publicly listed photonic quantum company when shares begin trading on Nasdaq and the Toronto Stock Exchange under "XNDU" on March 27. The transaction targets gross proceeds of approximately US$302 million and values Xanadu above $3 billion. Xanadu's photonic approach---operating at room temperature---differentiates it from superconducting and trapped-ion competitors, and its PennyLane open-source framework has broad adoption among quantum machine learning researchers.
The Quantum Insider: Xanadu SPAC Deal Approved, Targets $302 Million Raise
🏛️ QUANTUM CENTER WATCH
Elevate Quantum Launches Nation's First Commercially Deployable Quantum Open Architecture System
March 16, 2026 · Denver, CO [1 day before window --- most recent available]
Elevate Quantum and partners Q-CTRL, QuantWare, Qblox, Maybell Quantum, and Arrow Electronics launched the Quantum Platform for the Advancement of Commercialization (Q-PAC) at Elevate's Commercialization Lab on the Quantum Commons campus in Denver. The system went from concept to full operation in five months at a fraction of the cost of closed, full-stack systems, and is described as the nation's first commercially deployable Quantum Open Architecture system. The milestone demonstrates the Mountain West hub's ability to translate federal EDA investment into tangible open-ecosystem hardware infrastructure.
Elevate Quantum and Partners Launch Nation's First Quantum Open Architecture System
Governor Lamont Attends SCSU Ribbon Cutting for New Center for Quantum & Nanotechnology
March 23, 2026 · New Haven, CT
Governor Ned Lamont joined Southern Connecticut State University Interim President Sandra Bulmer for a ribbon cutting celebrating the renaming of SCSU's Center for Nanotechnology to the Center for Quantum & Nanotechnology. The ceremony was Lamont's fourth quantum-related visit to New Haven in 18 months, underscoring the state's accelerating commitment to building a regional quantum ecosystem through QuantumCT. Connecticut has committed $121 million to quantum infrastructure, including a new quantum incubator, and the expanded center at SCSU adds another institutional node to the state's growing quantum research network.
New Haven Independent: Ribbon Cutting Recognizes SCSU's Quantum Leap