Sydney Quantum Academy to grow city's quantum industry

The newly formed Sydney Quantum Academy — a partnership between Macquarie University, UNSW Sydney, The University of Sydney and the University of Technology Sydney — has been tasked by the NSW Government with creating thousands of well-paid, high-tech jobs building on the city’s quantum strengths.

Officially launching the Academy last week, NSW Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the state government is investing heavily in the infrastructure required to build a world-class technology precinct, including investing in support networks for emerging technologies. Sydney is already home to a burgeoning quantum tech industry, with start-ups like Q-CTRL, government-backed enterprises like Silicon Quantum Computing and global tech giants like Microsoft.

“The Academy will keep us at the forefront of quantum technology by developing the future employers, entrepreneurs and the workforce required to sustain the industry’s growth,” Ayres said.

Sydney Quantum Academy’s newly appointed CEO, Professor Peter Turner, predicts that quantum technologies will fundamentally change areas like computation and sensing, and help to solve problems that cannot be solved with classical information technology. He said the Academy plans to grow the talent pipeline through education and training programs, industry partnerships and internships.

“The Academy’s unique model means we have the ability and the infrastructure to deliver work-ready graduates and leaders who can help translate quantum research into real-life applications,” Prof Turner said. “There are jobs already there with the technology maturing rapidly, but there are many more to come. We need to boost the talent pipeline and anticipate what skills will be required for the future. We can only do this by working closely with industry in Australia and beyond.”

Cathy Foley, CSIRO’s Chief Scientist and Australia’s incoming Chief Scientist, said Sydney will play a central role in developing the nation’s quantum technology sector. “The investment by the NSW Government in the Sydney Quantum Academy is a great example of the steps that are needed to create and accelerate a quantum ecosystem that will allow the whole of Australia to come together behind an industry that will create jobs and prosperity,” she said.

“Quantum is an industry that is going to do more than create new products and services — it will also catalyse a broader capability that will be transformational for all industries, similar to the effect of the digital revolution. It is going to allow us to do new things and accelerate our ability to solve challenges that seem unsolvable today.”

Dr Foley is a member of the Sydney Quantum Academy’s External Advisory Board, which has been established to help the Academy bridge the gap between industry, academia and government. The board features 10 senior representatives from government, international and local start-ups, venture capital and technology firms.

“We’re very fortunate to have these global tech industry and government leaders involved,” Prof Turner concluded. “It demonstrates the significance of what’s happening in the quantum space in Sydney.”

The Academy launch video can be viewed below.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/zapp2photo

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