Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee, for inviting me to take part in today's meeting.
I am very glad to contribute to this important study on the domestic quantum computing industry, as well as Canada's talent retention and competitive advantages.
My name is Anne Broadbent, and I am the university research chair in quantum information and cryptography in the University of Ottawa's department of mathematics and statistics. I am proud to say that my academic career has been 100% Canadian.
The focus of my research is the design of new security protocols that use quantum computing for new functionalities. I am recognized internationally for my role in inventing blind quantum computing, a secure method to perform online quantum calculations.
When I started grad school 20 years ago, Canada was the place to be for all things quantum. We're still leading the world, but many countries are hot on our heels.
Gilles Brassard at the Université de Montréal is the most prominent Canadian pioneer in quantum information science, and I am fortunate to be one of his former Ph.D. students. His research in quantum cryptography and teleportation back in the eighties is the foundation of virtually all breakthroughs in the current evolution of quantum. He was recently awarded the Wolf Prize, which is generally a precursor to a Nobel prize.
In the past 10 years, the quantum landscape has drastically accelerated. This is a huge opportunity for Canada. With the advent of big data, the Internet of things, 5G, machine learning and e-commerce, digital transformation is affecting just about every sector, and quantum presents several global socio-economic challenges.
The research firm Gartner projects that by 2023, 20% of organizations will have earmarked quantum computing in their budgets, compared with less than 1% in 2018. In 2045, quantum is expected to be a $140-billion dollar industry, with almost 210,000 jobs and $42.3 billion in returns.
Canada is already contributing to this growth. Our nation has a dynamic quantum ecosystem featuring fast-growing quantum companies, and universities and research institutes dedicated to pushing the boundaries of quantum research. With over 50 professors working in the area, the University of Ottawa is internationally renowned for its research on quantum communications, sensing and cryptography.
At the uOttawa cybersecurity hub, we are facilitating a transition to e-commerce that is designed to be safe in the era of quantum computers. In my view, this is where the breadth of the impact of quantum is possibly the largest. It affects every Canadian industry with a cyber presence. uOttawa is also partnering with several very exciting quantum companies like Xanadu, headquartered in Toronto, which was previously mentioned in this committee.
However, as with other technology industries in Canada, companies and talent in quantum are facing difficult choices about staying in Canada or leaving for competing jurisdictions. The U.S., U.K., EU and Netherlands, as well as France, Germany and China all have aggressive quantum strategies. The Netherlands, for example, has established a national organization, which is a connection point for all things quantum. It even includes a quantum child care pilot program.
There is a global competition worldwide, and we are losing talent to foreign, high-paying companies. We are losing highly skilled talent in universities to more attractive opportunities outside of Canada.
What does that mean for a faculty member like me and the broader academic community?
My job, as a professor in the department of mathematics and statistics, is to teach science and engineering students in all years the art of logical thinking, problem solving and science communication—the building blocks of their disciplines and careers.
Today’s science discovery is tomorrow’s innovation advantage.
Academia has a responsibility as one of the fundamental pieces of the ecosystem, and there is an urgent need for skills and development. There is a need for more professors who foster environments for cutting-edge research, and a need across many disciplines, like computer science, math, engineering and physics, but also social sciences and law.
Post-secondary institutions are spearheading research and innovation initiatives that align with industry-relevant research and the translation of research-derived innovations to products and start-ups. Entrepreneurs are shaped in our institutions and, as my experience confirms, quantum companies of all shapes and sizes rely on the university’s knowledge base and talent.
There was an interesting discussion at the last meeting about the need to attract, retain and train talent. I would like to contribute a diversity lens to this topic. For me, it's a privilege to be a woman in quantum in Canada. I say this, because it gives me an almost instant camaraderie with a small group of amazing, distinguished women working in this area. Equity, diversity and inclusion are recognized as catalysts to innovation, and there is a potential for Canada to benefit from further efforts in this area.
In conclusion, I feel strongly that the Government of Canada needs to continue to fund inclusive quantum research and its talent pipeline, with the goal of strengthening Canada’s position at the global scale.
Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. In closing, I would like to extend a warm invitation to the members of the committee to visit the University of Ottawa and see first-hand some of the next generation of talent and our research at work.