Which Nations Have Invested in Quantum and Supercomputers?

Which Nations Have Invested in Quantum and Supercomputers?

Recognizing the potential influence these technologies could have on a wide range of industries and scientific disciplines, many nations are devoting significant resources to the development of quantum and supercomputers. The budgets and accomplishments of some of the top nations in this field will be examined in this article.

The US government has set aside enormous sums of money to support research and development in the area of quantum computing. The National Quantum Initiative, which has a five-year initial investment of $1.22 billion, is the largest quantum computing project in the nation. It was started in 2018. The Summit supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is one of the world's fastest supercomputers, and it is located in the United States.

With the aim of dominating this industry, China has also recently made sizable investments in quantum computing. Tens of billions of dollars have been set aside by the Chinese government to support quantum research, and in 2020, a 360 million dollar quantum research facility will be opened. The Sunway TaihuLight, which held the title of fastest supercomputer from 2016 to 2018, is one of the fastest computers in the world. China is also home to other fast computers.

Numerous top research institutions in the field of quantum computing are located in Japan, which has also made sizeable investments in the technology. For the development of quantum computers and related technologies, the Japanese government announced a 100 billion yen ($940 million) initiative in 2017. The Fugaku supercomputer, which is currently the fastest in the world, is also located in the nation.

Furthermore, the European Union has allotted more than a billion euros to finance research and development in the area of quantum computing. The Quantum Flagship, the EU's leading quantum initiative, was introduced in 2018 with the aim of advancing and promoting quantum technologies in Europe. The MareNostrum at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center is one of the world's fastest supercomputers, and several other top machines are located in the EU.

Russia has made investments in quantum computing in an effort to dominate this industry. A 50 billion ruble ($640 million) budget was set aside by the Russian government in 2019 to support quantum research over the following five years. Additionally, the nation is home to a number of supercomputers, including the Lomonosov-2, which in 2020 was rated as the 12th fastest supercomputer in the entire world.

Iran has also expressed an interest in creating quantum computing technology. In 2018, the country's Vice President for Science and Technology announced plans to establish a national quantum computing center. Although there are few details available about Iran's precise budget and accomplishments in this area, the government has also provided funding for research in this field.

Considering the potential impact of these technologies on a wide range of industries and scientific fields, these nations are generally investing sizable resources in the development of quantum and supercomputers. It will be interesting to observe how these investments translate into useful applications and advantages for society as technology develops further. All parties involved must cooperate to make sure that this technology is created and applied in a way that benefits society as a whole. 

by Pooyan Ghamari Swiss Economist Visionary 

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