The University of Calgary will soon be home to a new national defence quantum research hub. Ottawa is expected to spend $20.3 million over two years for a university-led group to establish the centre. It will be used to research and develop quantum tech to feed the Canadian Armed Forces’ national defence needs. Ottawa says it will focus on quantum sensing, communications, algorithms and hardware. “This hub will bring together researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, industry partners and defence experts to accelerate the development of quantum technologies,” federal National Defence Minister David McGuinty told reporters Thursday. The university already has a “Quantum City” where similar research is ongoing — though currently unrelated to defence. The science deals in the physics of tiny particles to create ultra-fast technology and secure data. “We already have an ecosystem we’ve built over the last five years, so essentially we’re just being given a new mission to work towards here,” Managing Director Megan Lee told CTV News. “They’ll be giving us signals to what capabilities (the Canadian Armed Forces) need right now. Then we’re working with cutting edge researchers at the University of Calgary and our academic partners to really turn those quantum emerging technologies into an actual product we can deliver.” It is the third such hub announced by the federal government, with the Halifax hub focusing on maritime security and the Montreal hub looking at drone technology. McGuinty says countries that lead in quantum technologies will help shape the next generation of military capability. — with files from The Canadian Press
