Insider Brief
- Microsoft President Brad Smith warns that the United States risks falling behind China in the global race for quantum computing unless it strengthens investment, workforce development, and supply chain security.
- Smith calls for expanding federal research funding, boosting quantum talent development, and shoring up domestic quantum manufacturing to maintain U.S. technological leadership.
- Global competition is accelerating as China pours billions into quantum technologies, highlighting the urgency for coordinated U.S. action across government, academia, and industry.
The United States risks falling behind in the emerging race for quantum supremacy unless it renews its focus on scientific investment, workforce development, and supply chain security, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith warned in a post published today.
While artificial intelligence dominates the technology spotlight, Smith said in the Microsoft blog post that quantum computing is moving from theory into practice with potentially transformative consequences for science, medicine, energy, and national security.
“Long the domain of theory, quantum technologies are edging closer to reality, with profound implications for the world and American national competitiveness and security,” Smith writes. “As basic research and private sector advancements accelerate, a new global race is picking up steam. Now is the time for the United States and its allies to double down and invest in their strengths to claim the quantum frontier.”
Countries including China have made quantum research a strategic priority, forcing the United States to act decisively to maintain its lead, according to the post.
Quantum technologies manipulate the fundamental behavior of particles at the atomic level, offering the promise of solving problems that overwhelm today’s computers. A fully operational quantum computer could simulate molecular interactions for drug development, optimize complex logistics, and accelerate scientific discovery. Smith emphasized in the blog post that advances like Microsoft’s Majorana-based quantum chip, which aims to reduce instability in qubits, could shorten the timeline for practical quantum applications.
U.S. Federal Funding Faces New Pressures
Smith’s post outlined a series of steps for safeguarding American leadership, citing the nation’s historical advantage boosted by two critical engines of research and development.
“For 80 years, American innovation has been driven by two critical ingredients,” Smith writes. “The first is basic research. The second is private sector investment in product development by companies of all sizes.”
He noted that U.S. innovation has long relied on the combination of government-backed science programs and commercial development pipelines — a structure now under strain as rival nations ramp up their own quantum initiatives.
The warning comes as global investment in quantum technologies accelerates.
China, in particular, has dramatically expanded public spending on research and development over the past two decades. Although exact numbers are difficult to confirm, according to the blog post, China’s government has committed approximately $15 billion to quantum projects, double the European Union’s planned spending and eight times higher than previous U.S. government allocations. Earlier this year, China launched a $138 billion venture fund aimed at bolstering high-risk research, including quantum technologies.
Meanwhile, U.S. federal funding for quantum research has stagnated. Although the Trump administration’s first term saw the passage of the National Quantum Initiative Act in 2018, Smith pointed out that proposed budgets for fiscal year 2025 under the Biden administration slightly decreased quantum allocations compared to earlier levels. Smith argues that the United States cannot afford to lose momentum or face a “strategic surprise” in quantum capabilities.
Historical Strength Rooted in Science Policy
Historically, major American innovations — from the internet to GPS — have stemmed from federally funded research efforts rooted in World War II-era policies. Smith traced the origins of this model to President Franklin Roosevelt’s commissioning of a national science policy during the final stages of the war. That blueprint, championed by Vannevar Bush, became the foundation for the American research ecosystem that Smith described as the “golden goose” of technological and economic leadership.
Now, three agencies — the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and National Science Foundation — form a critical “research triad” that drives U.S. innovation, Smith writes. The Defense Department connects military research to civilian spinoffs; the Energy Department’s national labs link scientific breakthroughs to national security and energy needs; and the NSF cultivates the STEM workforce essential to sustaining future advances.
Building the Next Quantum Workforce
Smith warned that unless this triad is fully leveraged, the U.S. risks losing its competitive edge. He called for three strategic actions: increasing federal investment in quantum research, expanding efforts to train a new generation of quantum scientists and engineers, and securing domestic supply chains for quantum components.
In workforce development, Smith noted that the United States faces a severe shortage of quantum-trained talent, with job postings outpacing available workers by as much as three to one globally. He cited the 2024 State of U.S. Science and Engineering Report, which found that 43% of doctorate-level scientists and engineers in the U.S. are foreign-born, a figure that could grow as undergraduate STEM degree production in countries like China and India continues to outpace the United States.
Smith proposed a series of measures to address the talent gap, including expanding the National Science Foundation’s outreach programs to K-12 schools, increasing support for research apprenticeships, and developing fast-track visa pathways for foreign quantum specialists. He compared the urgency to the post-Sputnik era when the U.S. government launched the National Defense Education Act to boost STEM education.
Securing the Quantum Supply Chain
On supply chains, Smith argued that the U.S. must act quickly to reduce dependence on foreign sources for critical quantum components like cryogenic systems, superconducting cables, and specialized lasers. He suggested that agencies such as the Departments of Commerce and Energy could help diversify suppliers by organizing long-term purchase agreements and promoting domestic manufacturing.
Smith also recommended developing specialized facilities for quantum chip fabrication, prototyping, and testing within the U.S., and creating incentives to encourage private sector investment in quantum hardware production.
A New Call for National Quantum Priorities
Throughout the post, Smith emphasized that winning the quantum race is not only about research and development but also about creating a resilient ecosystem that includes infrastructure, talent, and industry partnerships. He pointed to Denmark’s long-term national strategy in quantum research—anchored by collaborations like Microsoft’s Quantum Lab near Copenhagen — as a model for how coordinated government, academic, and industry efforts can build lasting leadership.
Ultimately, Smith urged policymakers to take a similar approach in the United States. He called for President Trump to issue an executive order setting national priorities for quantum technology, just as he had done for artificial intelligence earlier in his administration. According to Smith, a national quantum strategy focused on funding, talent, and supply chain security would not only bolster U.S. security but also drive a new era of economic prosperity.
Smith’s post represents a comprehensive roadmap of the steps needed to secure long-term American dominance in a field that many experts believe could define the 21st century as decisively as semiconductors and the internet defined the last.
“Simply put, the United States cannot afford to fall behind, or worse, lose the race entirely,” Smith writes. “Winning the quantum race will require us to deploy and reinvest in our greatest American strengths: our intellect, our curiosity, and our drive to innovate and build. All these qualities are carried forward by the three great and enduring federal agencies that comprise our research triad.”
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