Quantum news — August 13, 2026

New York Governor Kathy Hochul launched a competitive Request for Proposals on August 13 to establish up to four Regional Quantum Technology Commercialisation Hubs across the state, backed by 60 million dollars allocated in the FY 2027 budget and administered by Empire State Development's NYSTAR division. The programme represents one of the most substantial state-level quantum commercialisation commitments in the United States [1]. On the hardware partnership front, South Korean quantum equipment developer SDT joined Canadian non-profit Open Quantum Design as its primary manufacturing partner, announced at Quantum Korea 2026. SDT will translate OQD's open-source blueprints into physical trapped-ion quantum processing units and integrate supporting control infrastructure, a notable step toward open-source hardware becoming commercially manufacturable [2]. Xanadu announced two distinct academic partnerships on August 13. The first pairs the photonic quantum computing company with the University of Alberta to develop quantum algorithms targeting photodynamic cancer drug discovery, led by Xanadu's algorithms team alongside Professor Alex Brown of Alberta's chemistry department [3]. The second is a memorandum of understanding with the University of Guelph extending through 2028 to collaborate on quantum computing education, curriculum integration and workforce development [4]. DARPA awarded a contract to Qunnect under its Quantum Augmented Networks programme to advance real-time polarisation compensation for entanglement-based telecom fibre networks, improving signal stability and resilience in deployed quantum networking infrastructure. The award builds on Qunnect's existing field-deployable quantum memory technology [5]. In post-quantum security, BTQ Technologies signed a memorandum of understanding with ITCENGLOBAL's listed subsidiary ITCEN PNS to deploy post-quantum cryptography, quantum-safe authentication and hardware-rooted security architectures across South Korea's financial and public-sector markets [6]. Separately, SEALSQ and French quantum chip developer Quobly sealed a five-million-dollar post-quantum security deal, combining SEALSQ's hardware security expertise with Quobly's silicon spin-qubit fabrication capabilities [7]. MIT Technology Review also published a substantive analysis on August 13 examining the practical migration path to post-quantum cryptography for enterprises, reflecting growing mainstream attention to deployment timelines [8]. IBM's quantum computing work on fusion energy received broad coverage, with BGR and PYMNTS both highlighting how IBM's quantum processor contributed to solving a key challenge in nuclear fusion modelling, advancing the case for near-term quantum utility in energy science [9]. On the education and talent front, Morgan State University announced the launch of an artificial intelligence degree programme incorporating quantum machine learning courses, broadening the pipeline of graduates with cross-disciplinary quantum skills [10]. Virginia Tech hired quantum algorithms expert Jiaqi Leng, adding a prominent researcher to its faculty [11]. CO.LAB Q in Chattanooga opened applications for a 12-month programme designed to help teams build viable quantum businesses, adding an entrepreneurship-focused accelerator to the ecosystem [12]. Chinese quantum startup Buchou Quantum completed a Series A financing round, adding fresh private capital to China's expanding quantum venture landscape [13]. A research team at Universidade Federal demonstrated a superconducting device capable of continuous-variable quantum computing, a distinct approach to quantum information processing that complements the discrete-variable qubit paradigm and could inform future hardware architectures [14]. Albuquerque, New Mexico, is weighing 3.1 million dollars in economic incentives to attract cybersecurity, quantum and space sector jobs, a local policy signal that quantum workforce competition is reaching city-level governments [15].