Key Takeaways:
- Pennsylvania lawmakers are being asked to support a $40 million-plus, two-year Pennsylvania Quantum Initiative to rebuild the state’s competitiveness in the field of quantum technology.
- The proposal calls for state-coordinated investment in workforce development, applied research, shared-access infrastructure, and early commercialization.
- The initiative aims to position Pennsylvania to compete for larger federal quantum awards expected later in the decade.
- The proposal includes the creation of a Pennsylvania Quantum Initiative Advisory Board and a separate Quantum Ethics and Governance Commission.
- The initiative focuses on near-term opportunities such as DARPA benchmarking partnerships, technician-level workforce training, and sector-specific applications in energy, life sciences, manufacturing, and secure communications.
Introduction to the Pennsylvania Quantum Initiative
Pennsylvania lawmakers are being urged to consider a $40 million-plus, two-year quantum technology initiative aimed at restoring the state’s competitiveness after missing out on major federal funding rounds and watching rival states move more quickly into the emerging field. The proposal, circulated by the Pennsylvania Quantum Public Lobby Group, calls for the launch of a broad-based Pennsylvania Quantum Initiative beginning in 2026. According to the group, the plan is designed to strengthen workforce development, applied research, and early commercialization while positioning the state to compete for larger federal quantum awards expected later in the decade.
The Importance of Quantum Technology
Quantum technologies, including computing, sensing, and secure communications, are widely viewed as enabling tools for advances in energy systems, life sciences, manufacturing, and national security. The group argues that progress in these areas is not inevitable and that, without coordinated state action, Pennsylvania risks falling behind both regionally and nationally. As Erin Richard, a spokesperson for the project, noted, "It may sound unusual to say but quantum is here, we have to utilize it or we’ll become a ghost town." The proposal emphasizes the need for Pennsylvania to take proactive steps to develop its quantum capabilities in order to remain competitive.
The Proposed Initiative
At the center of the proposal is the creation of a Pennsylvania Quantum Initiative Advisory Board, which would be jointly appointed by the governor’s office and the legislature. The board would be tasked with drafting annual or biannual strategic plans subject to legislative approval, and would include industry representation from members with expertise in life sciences, energy, and manufacturing. The proposal also calls for establishing a separate Quantum Ethics and Governance Commission, which would review the ethical, legal, and social implications of quantum technologies before their deployment in government or state-regulated sectors. This commission would pay particular attention to data privacy, explainability, and workforce impacts.
Timing and Funding
The proposal notes that Pennsylvania failed to qualify for several of the largest federal quantum funding programs tied to the original National Quantum Initiative, whose major funding windows closed in 2025. As a result, the state is effectively excluded from Department of Energy and National Science Foundation quantum center funding until at least 2030. Rather than attempting to replace federal investment, the draft proposal frames the state initiative as a bridge strategy, arguing that targeted state funding between 2026 and 2028 would allow Pennsylvania to build workforce capacity, infrastructure, and institutional readiness ahead of the next expected cycle of national quantum funding.
Near-Term Opportunities
One near-term opportunity highlighted in the draft involves DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, which allows states to provide matching funds that DARPA uses to cover laboratory costs associated with testing quantum computers. The group estimates that a relatively modest state investment could support dozens of startup testing campaigns while giving Pennsylvania students and researchers hands-on access to advanced quantum systems without the cost of building or purchasing them. Workforce development is also placed as a cornerstone of the initiative, with an emphasis on preparing technicians and technologists capable of building, operating, and maintaining quantum systems.
Shared-Access Infrastructure and Economic Development
The proposal emphasizes shared-access infrastructure, modeled on early classical computing time-sharing systems, which would expand participation, accelerate practical experimentation, and help ensure that discoveries and startups remain anchored in Pennsylvania. Economic development goals are framed in sector-specific terms, with potential applications in energy grid optimization, pipeline monitoring, materials discovery, life sciences, agriculture, logistics, and climate modeling. The proposal also highlights post-quantum encryption and quantum key distribution as near-term infrastructure priorities, citing growing concern over the risk that encrypted data collected today could be decrypted in the future.
Funding Framework and Competitive Context
The proposal sketches a funding framework that includes verification funds tied to federal benchmarking programs, strategic capital for quantum supply-chain components, adoption funds to encourage in-state use of quantum and post-quantum technologies, deployment grants for Pennsylvania-based companies, cloud compute credits for researchers, and a dedicated workforce development fund. Much of the funding would be administered through existing economic development organizations such as Ben Franklin Technology Partners. The draft also places Pennsylvania’s effort in a broader competitive context, noting that neighboring states, including New York and Maryland, are moving aggressively to build quantum ecosystems. The group argues that quantum capabilities could shape economic and security outcomes as profoundly as artificial intelligence has in recent years.
Next Steps
If enacted, the initiative would begin in 2026 with advisory board appointments and initial funding, followed by site selection for facilities in 2027 and construction later in the decade. According to the group, the alternative is a future in which Pennsylvania adopts quantum technologies developed elsewhere rather than helping to build them at home. Members plan to speak to committees and caucuses in Harrisburg throughout the year to build support for the initiative. As the proposal gains momentum, it is likely to spark important discussions about the role of quantum technology in Pennsylvania’s future and the need for coordinated state action to remain competitive in this emerging field.
