President Donald Trump signed two executive orders directing efforts to develop "quantum computers" for scientific research to be completed by 2028, aiming to secure technological leadership over perennial competitor "China." He also ordered an upgrade of government cybersecurity systems to the "post-quantum" era to prevent future code-breaking attacks.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed two executive orders to accelerate the development of quantum computing technology, an advanced technology vastly superior to today's supercomputers, aiming for practical applications in research and military amid escalating competition with China.
Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, revealed that the first order mandates U.S. government agencies to collaborate with the private sector to build quantum computers capable of scientific research use by 2028, a timeline faster than private giants IBM, Microsoft, and Google, which target commercial quantum devices by 2029.
Quantum computers operate differently from conventional computers that process with "bits" valued at 0 or 1 individually. Instead, quantum computers use "qubits" based on quantum physics principles, allowing them to be both 0 and 1 simultaneously, enabling massive parallel computations that will drive advances in artificial intelligence (AI), materials science, and chemistry.
However, senior White House officials clarified that the government’s quantum computer model under development will have less capability than commercial systems private companies are working on. The 2028 model is viewed as a "bridge" or initial step toward larger, more powerful systems in the future, as current quantum computers still have error rates too high for practical use outside labs.
Beyond its scientific benefits, this technology is a double-edged sword because its processing power could easily break encryption that currently protects computer systems worldwide.
Trump therefore signed a second executive order to protect government computer systems from future cyber threats, setting a deadline for public agencies to transition their core processing to "post-quantum cryptography," encryption resistant to quantum computer attacks, by 2030 to 2031.
The order also covers the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon), directing it to begin deploying "quantum sensors" in the military by 2028. These sensors will enable fighter jets to navigate battlefields even when GPS is cut off or jammed. Installed on satellites, they could detect underground activities, such as tunnel digging or missile silo construction, from space.
Matthew Kinsella, CEO of Infleqtion, who attended the White House signing ceremony, commented, "There are many exciting capabilities quantum sensors can achieve before quantum computers are fully realized, and the government's timeline is feasible."
This major move by the Trump administration follows last month’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Commerce of over $2 billion in venture funding for nine quantum technology companies, including a new joint venture with IBM. The orders also emphasize strengthening international cooperation to protect intellectual property and supply chain security to prevent competitors or adversaries from undermining the U.S. economy and national security.
. . .White House/Reuters