Quantum in BC
BC is a world leader in Quantum Computing
Canada is a significant investor in early research programs focusing on quantum technologies — Including an investment of $1 billion in quantum research from 2009 to 2020. Canada launched a National Quantum Strategy supported by a $360 million investment in the quantum sector in budget 2021. As a result of this consistent investment, Canada is a world leader in quantum with a significant academic and commercial quantum cluster in British Columbia.
Milestones
The first two-qubit computer was demonstrated by researchers in the US and UK.
1998
D-Wave Systems (founded in BC in 1999) launched the world’s first commercially available quantum processor.
2011
1QB information Technologies (1QBit), the world’s first dedicated quantum computing software company, was founded in BC.
2012
IBM made its quantum computers accessible.
2016
Demonstration of quantum advantages by Google (2019) and the University of Science and Technology of China (2020).
2020
Improving on Google’s and China’s earlier results, Canadian company Xanadu Quantum Technologies reported their quantum computer performed a single task 50 million times faster than a classical computer.
2022
The Quantum Algorithms Institute builds on the momentum of BC’s early leadership and quantum expertise to help make BC a hub of world-class quantum knowledge and a vibrant and collaborative quantum community. BC is a place to learn, use quantum skills, and grow quantum teams, companies, and investments.
Canada’s leadership in Quantum — As one of the world’s leading nations in quantum research, Canada ranked 5th in the G7 in total expenditure on quantum science, and 1st per capita. Today, there are close to 50 quantum companies in Canada.
As a result of this consistent investment Canada is a world leader in quantum, with a significant academic and commercial quantum cluster in British Columbia.
Quantum in BC Today
The Quantum Ecosystem in BC
$270M+
Financing
404
Patents
13
Quantum
Companies
500+
Employees
