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Westchester County Office of Economic Development and New York City Economic Development Corporation Launch QUANTM Consortium

Collaboration established for regional Quantum Computing and Networking Technology Mobilization (QUANTM)

Westchester County, New York (January 22, 2024) – The Westchester County Office of Economic Development, in partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corporation, is pleased to announce the launch of a Quantum Computing and Networking Technology Mobilization (QUANTM) consortium. QUANTM, which met for the second time in December, has already convened more than 40 stakeholders from across the New York Metro region, representing more than 25 organizations and institutions, to begin developing a strategy for quantum information science and technology (QIST) job growth.

Members of the QUANTM Consortium include:

• Brookhaven National Labs
• Business Council of Westchester
• City College of New York
• The Coding School
• Columbia University
• IBM
• The Knowledge House
• Mount Vernon STEAM Academy
• New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)
• New York University (NYU)
• Northeast STEM Starter Academy at Mount Vernon
• Pace University
• SandboxAQ
• SEEQC
• The STEM Alliance
• SUNY Polytechnic Institute
• Qunnect
• SUNY WCC
• Westchester County Association

“The core focus of the QUANTM Consortium will be developing plans for promoting broad-based economic growth, creating good-paying jobs, assessing job quality, and helping students and workers gain training for advanced careers. Westchester County is delighted to have a team of innovative and forward-thinking partners at the table for this collaboration – including the New York City Economic Development Corporation – and is committed to driving regional growth in this booming national sector," said Westchester County Executive George Latimer.

“Westchester County has identified more than 100 workforce development institutions who can help to advance STEM education from classroom through career. These institutions reach diverse audiences and bring unique outreach and engagement methods to the table, all of which will benefit the regional QIST workforce,” said Westchester County Director of Economic Development Bridget Gibbons.

“The QUANTM Consortium will forge powerful connections among businesses, workforce advocates, and educational institutions in support of talent development, job creation and economic growth in the QIST ecosystem. The New York Metro Region is already home to a highly-educated and -skilled workforce, and growth in QIST will further enhance this position of excellence,” said Westchester County Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Deborah Novick. 

“We are thrilled to be part of the QUANTM consortium which will develop cutting-edge strategies to spark innovation and economic growth, create training opportunities and good-paying jobs for all New Yorkers,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President & CEO Andrew Kimball. “New York City is already home to one of the few quantum startups globally with commercial products and our colleges are some of the only schools nationally that offer degrees in the field of quantum study. We look forward to working with Westchester County Office of Economic Development and our other partners across the region to continue growing this future-focused sector and establish New York as a primary hub for innovation in quantum.”

Among the QUANTM Consortium’s goals, are:

• develop a comprehensive regional technology strategy that that ensures QIST jobs will start, grow and remain in the region;
• address regional inequities, and strengthen the labor and education infrastructure, in the QIST ecosystem; and,
• develop QIST workforce development plans that embrace equity and diversity.

Specialized working groups will be established within the QUANTM Consortium in early 2024.

Given its national leadership position in commerce and finance, science, and culture, it is perhaps not surprising that New York is a leader in innovation related to QIST. JPMorgan Chase and Co., along with Goldman Sachs, have been investigating the use of quantum computing for their businesses. In 2022, IBM, whose Quantum headquarters is in the IBM T.J. Watson Research facility in Westchester County’s Yorktown Heights, announced that it would invest $20 billion over 10 years to stimulate an appropriate environment to support the growth of QIST for the entire Hudson Valley. In Elmsford, startup SEEQC designs and manufactures superconducting digital chips for scalable, energy-efficient quantum computing systems based on its proprietary single flux quantum chips produced at their multi-layer superconductive electronics chip foundry. In Tarrytown, startup SandboxAQ combines AI and quantum tech to create commercial products for the telecom, financial services, health care, and security industries. In Brooklyn, startup Qunnect innovates core technologies needed for scalable quantum-safe communication. In 2021, the company commercialized the world's first quantum memory. In 2023, it constructed a new fiber loop that will open its quantum networking testbed, GothamQ, for commercial applications.

At large, New York is ripe with the talent needed to grow QIST. New York metro has over 443,000 full-time workers in tech and R&D. Columbia University in New York City is one of less than fifteen institutions in the nation to offer a master’s degree in quantum technologies, and New York University this spring will launch a quantum tech minor. The City College of New York won a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to establish a state-of-the-art quantum institute, which will advance quantum research and hire dedicated quantum faculty to expand the institution’s quantum educational offerings.

About The Westchester County Office of Economic Development

The Westchester County Office of Economic Development works to improve the County’s economic well-being and quality of life.  This includes a broad range of activities to attract, create and retain jobs, and to foster a resilient, pro-growth and inclusive economy. For information, visit https://westchestercatalyst.com/.

About New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)

New York City Economic Development Corporation is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that works for a vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy for all New Yorkers. We take a comprehensive approach, through four main strategies: strengthen confidence in NYC as a great place to do business; grow innovative sectors with a focus on equity; build neighborhoods as places to live, learn, work, and play; and deliver sustainable infrastructure for communities and the city's future economy. To learn more about what we do, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.