QED-C showcases U.S. quantum push on Capitol Hill

QED-C brought government officials, lawmakers and quantum companies to Capitol Hill on Tuesday for a live showcase of technologies as Washington sharpens its focus on commercialization. The event came weeks after new White House quantum orders and as Congress weighs the next phase of federal quantum policy.

Why it matters: - The showcase highlighted how U.S. quantum policy is shifting from research support to commercialization and deployment. - Lawmakers and agencies are weighing quantum’s impact on competitiveness, economic security and national security. - The event gave Congress a direct look at technologies that could shape the next wave of computing, communications and sensing.

What happened: - QED-C hosted the 2026 Quantum Technology Showcase on the Hill in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. - Senior government officials, bipartisan members of Congress, federal agency leaders and quantum companies attended. - The event came weeks after President Donald Trump signed executive orders advancing U.S. quantum innovation. - The showcase also followed the White House Summit on American Quantum Innovation by days. - Members of Congress and staff met with companies building quantum technologies.

The details: - The showcase featured live demonstrations across quantum computing, communications, sensing and enabling technologies. - Featured speakers included Sen. Steve Daines; Rep. Zoe Lofgren; Chris Pilkerton of the Treasury Department; Dr. Erwin Gianchandani of the National Science Foundation; Dr. Brad Blakestad of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Heather Goethert of the State Department; Michael A. Massetti of the FBI; and Dr. Celia Merzbacher of QED-C. - Merzbacher said policymakers are focusing on the steps needed to turn scientific leadership into economic growth and national security advantage. - Merzbacher said the technologies on Capitol Hill showed that the quantum industry is real and growing. - Participants demonstrating technologies included AdvR, Alice & Bob, Bluefors, Brightlight Photonics, D-Wave Quantum, FieldLine Industries, Frequency Electronics, Google Quantum AI, IBM Research, Infleqtion, IQM, Maybell Quantum Industries, NVIDIA, Phasecraft, Quantinuum, Quantum Computing Inc., Quantum Optics Jena, Rigetti, SRI, Sumitomo (SHI) Cryogenics and Toshiba. - QED-C said the showcase was held as Congress considers reauthorization of the National Quantum Initiative Act and federal agencies begin implementing recent quantum policy directives. - Discussions focused on supply chain resilience, assured access, workforce development, acquisition pathways and developer access to quantum computing resources.

Between the lines: - The event was as much about building a policy coalition as showing hardware. - By putting industry, Congress and federal agencies in the same room, QED-C signaled that quantum commercialization now depends on procurement, workforce and supply-chain decisions, not just lab breakthroughs. - The bipartisan mix of lawmakers and officials suggests quantum has become a rare area of broad federal attention.

What's next: - Congress will continue weighing reauthorization of the National Quantum Initiative Act. - Federal agencies will keep turning recent quantum policy directives into implementation steps. - The quantum industry is likely to keep pressing for clearer acquisition paths, stronger supply chains and broader access to computing resources.

The bottom line: - QED-C used Capitol Hill to make a case that U.S. quantum leadership now needs policy support, commercial scale and federal action to convert technical progress into national advantage.