Panelists urge government investment, standards and regional coordination as quantum computing nears practical use

At a public forum hosted by Governor Heck, researchers and industry executives urged coordinated government action to capture economic benefits and manage risks as quantum computing moves toward practical applications.

"Federal government, of course, have to invest," said Dr. Krishna Rupatharam, describing scaling and fabrication as costly undertakings that require public seed funding and long‑term engineering research. Panelists said governments at municipal, state and national levels each have distinct roles: cities can invest in fabrication and logistics, states can be both users and supply‑side supporters, and national governments should fund fundamental research and workforce development.

Anuja Kochar Singh, vice president of global customer service at IONQ, noted recent White House executive orders that she said place near‑term emphasis on both quantum computing and post‑quantum cryptography. "The executive order is placing really a near term emphasis on sensing, quantum sensing," she said, arguing the orders push investments in research, talent and infrastructure while nudging agencies to prepare digital systems for a quantum future.

Panelists recommended practical steps for officials: create shared fabrication and testing facilities, fund clean‑room and microelectronics capacity, and promote regional “front door” coordinators so businesses know where to seek help adopting quantum tools. "Right now, we don't have a single front door entity that can help businesses that wanna get understand what Quantum can do," said Nirav Desai, who argued a coordinating entity should act as a catalyst rather than a gatekeeper.

Speakers also stressed standards and workforce development. Dr. Rupatharam described K–12 outreach, internships and degree programs aimed at building a pipeline of technicians and engineers; Anuja emphasized broader literacy across adjacent fields, not only producing more physicists.

The panel closed with a reminder that policy choices are time‑sensitive: panelists said preparing for cryptographic change and investing in shared infrastructure now will shape which regions and firms capture long‑term economic value. The forum ended with audience resources and an invitation to regional collaboration.

The session featured no formal votes or legislative actions; panelists encouraged policymakers to consider seeding infrastructure, supporting standards and prioritizing workforce development as near‑term steps.