Witness says firm INQ leads U.S. quantum sector, warns of theft and uneven competition from China
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Summary
A witness testifying to the Joint Economic Committee said INQ, based in College Park, is the world's largest quantum company, claimed a roughly five-year lead over China, and raised concerns about theft and state-sponsored competition.
A witness at a Joint Economic Committee hearing described the United States’ private-sector strengths in quantum computing but warned about uneven competition and theft.
The witness said, "we're fortunate in this country that the world's largest, quantum company is INQ, and it's obviously based here in College Park," and noted the firm has operated for roughly 30 years. The witness said private capital built on earlier government support and that some competitors are "slow followers." Addressing competition with China, the witness said, "we've had problems honestly with theft" and urged assistance from the committee, recounting an anecdote about "thumb drives that go into servers at 3AM." The witness also said the company believes it has "a 5 year lead" over China and cited the acquisition of a U.K. firm, Octavionics, as a recent example of strategic moves to catalyze progress.
The exchange did not produce any committee votes or formal actions.