The US government is accelerating quantum technology development through executive orders and departmental programs. President Donald Trump signed two key directives in 2026 to advance quantum innovation and establish post-quantum cryptographic standards for federal systems. The Department of Energy launched the Quantum Genesis initiative, aiming to build a fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2028 for scientific research.
The Department of Commerce is allocating up to $2.013 billion to support quantum companies. This includes a $1 billion agreement with IBM for a 300-mm wafer facility in New York and $375 million for GlobalFoundries. Other firms, including D-Wave, Rigetti, and Quantinuum, have secured agreements worth $100 million each, with the government acquiring minority stakes in exchange for funding.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) continues to expand its research infrastructure. In August 2026, the agency announced over $290 million in funding for eight quantum research institutes. Additionally, the NSF launched the X-Labs program with a $1.5 billion budget over ten years to support interdisciplinary teams working on quantum sensors, photonics, and imaging systems.
Federal agencies face pressure to transition to post-quantum cryptography. New mandates require critical federal systems to adopt these standards by the end of 2030 for key agreement mechanisms and 2031 for digital signatures. However, a Government Accountability Office audit revealed that federal departments have not yet completed the necessary preparations for this transition.
The Department of Energy has initiated the Quantum Genesis Q Competition, offering up to $215 million to developers. Participants must aim to create a system with at least 100 logical qubits by September 2028. The competition uses Other Transaction Agreements to bypass standard procurement procedures, allowing for milestone-based payments to selected companies.
