Overview
- President Trump signed two executive orders on June 22, 2026, directing a whole‑of‑government program to accelerate quantum computing research, strengthen domestic supply chains, and build a quantum workforce.
- The Department of Energy’s Quantum Genesis initiative has set a target for 2028 to field a quantum system that can contribute to real scientific problems in chemistry, materials and physics.
- One order requires federal agencies and contractors to migrate high‑value systems to NIST‑approved post‑quantum cryptography by 2030–2031 to counter the ‘harvest now, decrypt later’ threat to stored sensitive data.
- Microsoft announced a Majorana 2 chip and said it aims for a scalable, fault‑tolerant machine by 2029, but that timeline and the company’s topological qubit claims remain unverified and contested by some experts.
- Businesses should start cryptographic inventories, plan PQC migration roadmaps, assess vendor readiness, and prepare for procurement and workforce shifts as federal policy drives investment and regulation.