On behalf of D-Wave Systems Inc., thank you for the opportunity to appear before the committee, and I ask that my full written statement be included into the record.
As background, D-Wave is the leader in development and delivery of quantum computing systems, software and services and is the world’s first commercial supplier of quantum computers. With our headquarters and our quantum engineering centre of excellence based near Vancouver, D-Wave is passionate about preserving Canada’s global leadership.
The quantum computing industry is an important one. We appreciate the attention from the government and look forward to supporting the work of this committee.
D-Wave is a full-stack provider, which means our technology, products and services include hardware, software, cloud platform, professional services, developer tools and more. D-Wave is the only company building both annealing quantum computers and gate-model quantum computers, so our platform-agnostic approach can provide broad industry perspective.
Quantum computing is inherently interwoven across a variety of academic disciplines and touches upon a variety of different technologies. This guides our recommendation of inclusivity of academic disciplines and access, as well as integration with different technologies.
We recommend that engagement on quantum be multidisciplinary. The quantum ecosystem requires a workforce with skills encompassing everything from engineering, cryogenics and software to IP and business strategy. What is often forgotten is that to be successful, users must bring existing skills from a variety of sciences, theoretical and applied, to ensure that the business value of quantum computing is unlocked.
Cloud access to quantum computing technology is another key tool to promote inclusive and diverse use of the technology.
A federal quantum user access program via the cloud should be created. The United States is working on a similar user access idea called QUEST, aimed at expanding access to quantum hardware and enhancing research through a government-funded program.
A similar program should be considered in Canada, but we recommend going one step further and including a national quantum training program. This could serve as a beacon for workforce development by engaging Canadian companies like D-Wave and others to provide skills training on their individual technologies. This program could be open to academia, government, as well as industry to accelerate quantum fluency. It could easily be stood up as a pilot in 2022 through existing organizations, such as the Digital Technology Supercluster, the Quantum Algorithms Institute and the Creative Destruction Lab, all of whom have existing relationships with industry, government, end-users and academia.
As highlighted in the recent consultation report released by ISED, quantum hybrid technology should be supported. This sentiment is also echoed in the United Kingdom.
There will likely always be a need for classical computation as part of the solution for many problems, but the most complex part of those problems are often best suited for quantum computers. For example, the quantum hybrid solvers in D-Wave’s Leap quantum cloud service combine the best of both classical and quantum computing technologies.
Government should think of quantum computing in a holistic manner and note that quantum computing technology will likely be integrated with and work alongside a variety of other technologies. One project to consider is building a domestic high-performance computing data centre that is integrated with quantum.
Lastly, there's a real need to showcase the technology's capabilities for today. D-Wave delivers customer value and practical applications for problems as diverse as logistics, AI, drug discovery and financial modelling for organizations like Volkswagen, Lockheed Martin and even Save-On-Foods for grocery optimization.
In September 2020, we released our Advantage quantum systems that includes more than 5,000 qubits and an expanded hybrid solver service capable of running problems with up to one million variables. This combination gives businesses and governments the ability to run in-production applications today. Yet, with all of this, the first question we hear most often is “What can you do with the technology today?”
Different systems have different capabilities. Our annealing quantum computers are best suited for tackling optimization problems, while gate-model systems are expected to be able to solve problems in quantum chemistry and materials design. We are but one voice trying to showcase the art of the possible.
A dedicated government program, such as a quantum sandbox that supports rapid near-term application development, will accelerate innovation, adoption and commercialization.
Other governments are already focusing on application development. A presidential advisory committee in the United States recommended a quantum sandbox for communications resiliency. The Australian Army is looking at quantum applications for optimizing autonomous vehicle resupply. The Australian government is looking at quantum to optimize their transportation system. In Japan, an application has been piloted that optimizes waste collection while also reducing CO2 emissions by nearly 60%.
The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation's report highlighted near-term quantum applications and showcased global use cases across a variety of industries.
As heard during the ISED round tables, there is a need to nurture a quantum ecosystem and scale commercial activities. The quantum sandbox would directly address that recommendation.
In conclusion, there is a need to act swiftly and in a multipronged fashion. Federal efforts should be inclusive of all technologies, incorporate many academic disciplines, support cloud-based access to the system and online training, and create a quantum sandbox to expedite commercialization. All of these efforts should be in addition to the continued promotion of longer-term quantum computing R and D advancements.
I appreciate your time today, and I am happy to answer any questions.
Thank you.