Category Archives: Quantum Computing

Remember that Sci-Fi show Quantum Leap? In the late-1980s/early-90s, Quantum Leap predicted that (in the near future) quantum technologies could be used to, among other things, travel back in time to solve crimes and correct historic wrongs.

Fast-forward to 2021. Where is quantum technology now, and what challenges does it face in its use and development? Todays WatchBlog post explores our recent report on quantum technologies.

What can quantum technology really do?

Well, not time travel!

Quantum Leap is of course fictional. But, in the near future, quantum technologies have the potential to transform many industries by harnessing the properties of nature at atomic (or very small) scales. For example, quantum computers could help reduce the time needed to create a lifesaving drug by increasing the accuracy and speed of chemistry simulations.

However, in addition to the good it could do, in the wrong hands, quantum technology could also be dangerous. For example, quantum technology could be used by hackers or enemy states to disrupt the privacy of information sent over the internetpotentially stealing secretsby efficiently factoring extremely large numbers, a difficult mathematical task used in many encryption schemes.

How soon could we see this technology?

While quantum technologies are available for limited uses now, they will likely take at least a decade and cost billions to develop for more complex uses.

We interviewed experts, including federal agency officials about quantum technologys prospects. They told us about the need for the U.S. to develop a strong quantum workforce and address supply chain issues in order to maintain its leadership position in quantum technology hardware and software development.

What can be done to strengthen the workforce?

Right now, the U.S. educational system does not equip enough graduates with the right skills to undertake complex tasks required for quantum technology development. For example, other countries provide far more training in the production of superconducting circuits, an essential quantum computing component, according to 1 stakeholder. Further, quantum jobs often require skills in fields that dont normally go together, like engineering and quantum mechanics. As a result, there are more quantum technology jobs than people to fill them.

To build a quantum workforce, the U.S. may need more training capacity in quantum engineering, circuit design, logic, and algorithm development. U.S. quantum firms may also want to hire more foreign nationals, which may be challenging because of visa requirements and the national security implications of quantum technology.

What can be done to address supply chain issues?

The quantum technology supply chain is global and specialized. Given the complexity of the supply chain, if a single link in the chain is unavailable, that could cause technology development delays and other setbacks. For example, quantum computers require super-cooling devices called dilution refrigerators, which are manufactured in Finland.

The quantum technology market is not currently large enough to support the commercial availability of specialized components. Manufacturing facilities, such as foundries, make money by producing a large quantity of an item. The small number of items needed for quantum technology research may not provide manufacturers financial incentive. Quantum foundries, or specialized manufacturing facilities, could help to produce quantum technologies at scale. In particular, they could help develop materials needed to enable quantum technologies, train the quantum workforce, and accelerate quantum technology development.

To learn more about the opportunities of quantum technology and the challenges facing its development, check out our new report.

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The Quantum Leap Hinges on Worker Skills and Supply Chain Limits - Government Accountability Office

OTTAWA, Ontario, Oct. 26, 2021 Rockport Networks today announces the commercial availability of its new switchless network architecture that delivers industry-leading performance and scalability necessary for performance-intensive computing workloads including HPC, AI and ML. Addressing the longstanding data center chokepoints that are throttling innovation, the Rockport Switchless Networkoffers a completely new design, using breakthrough software and data-routing techniques to overcome congestion, delivering predictable performance improvements of more than 3X that of centralized switch-intensive networks.

The Rockport Switchless Network distributes the network switching function to endpoint devices, where these devices (nodes) become the network. By eliminating layers of switches, the Rockport Switchless Network also significantly frees up rack space to be better used by compute and storage, as well as creating savings in associated power, cooling, and administrative overhead. No longer are compute and storage resources starving for data, and researchers have more predictability regarding workload completion time.

Rockport was founded based on the fact that switching, and networking in general, is extremely complicated. Over the years, this complexity has forced organizations to make tradeoffs when it comes to performance at scale, so we decided to make it simpler, said Doug Carwardine, CEO and co-founder, Rockport Networks. We made it our mission to get data from a source to a destination faster than other technologies. Removing the switch was crucial to achieve significant performance advantages in an environmentally and commercially sustainable way.

Rethinking network switches creates an opportunity to leverage direct interconnect topologies that provide a connectivity mesh in which every network endpoint can efficiently forward traffic to every other endpoint. The Rockport Switchless Network is a distributed, highly reliable, high-performance interconnect providing pre-wired supercomputer topologies through a standard plug-and-play Ethernet interface.

TheRockportNetwork Operating System (rNOS)is software at the core of the Rockport Switchless Network and runs on the Network Card, fully offloaded from the compute cores and server operating system. The rNOS enables the network to self-discover, self-configure and self-heal. Like a navigation app for data, this patented approach selects and continually optimizes the best path through the network to minimize congestion and latency, while breaking down packets into smaller pieces (FLITs) to ensure high-priority messages are not blocked by large messages or bulk data transfers. Designed to integrate easily into existing and emerging data centers, the Rockport Switchless Network installs in a fraction of the time required to cable traditional switch-based networks. As an embeddable architecture, it will work in any form factor. Today the software is deployed and managed using three main components:

Rockports technology delivers significant TCO, sustainability and security benefits including:

When the root of the problem is the architecture, building a better switch just didnt make sense, said Matt Williams, CTO, Rockport Networks. With sophisticated algorithms and other purpose-built software breakthroughs, we have solved for congestion, so our customers no longer need to just throw bandwidth at their networking issues. Weve focused on real-world performance requirements to set a new standard for what the market should expect for the fabrics of the future.

After an extensive beta program for cloud service providers and elite government and academic research labs, the Rockport Switchless Network is being deployed by customers including theUniversity ofTexas Advanced Computing Center (TACC).The company is also working with industry organizations includingOhio State University (OSU)to contribute to performance-intensive networking standards.

TACC Establishes New Center of Excellence with Rockport Networks

As part of todays news, Rockport Networks is announcing a collaboration with TACC to create a Center of Excellence in Austin, Texas. TACC houses Frontera, the fastest supercomputer on a university campus and the 10thmost powerful supercomputer in the world. TACC has installed 396 nodes on Frontera running production workloads on Rockports switchless network including quantum computing, pandemic-related life sciences research as well as workloads focused on rapid responses to emergencies like hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, and other large-scale disasters.

TACC is very pleased to be a Rockport Center of Excellence. We run diverse advanced computing workloads which rely on high-bandwidth, low-latency communication to sustain performance at scale. Were excited to work with innovative new technology like Rockports switchless network design, stated Dr. Dan Stanzione, director of TACC and associate vice president for research at UT-Austin. Our team is seeing promising initial results in terms of congestion and latency control. Weve been impressed by the simplicity of installation and management. We look forward to continuing to test on new and larger workloads and expanding the Rockport Switchless Network further into our data center.

Industry Validation

The team at Durham continues to push the bounds when it comes to uncovering next-generation HPC network technologies, said Alastair Basden, DiRAC/Durham University, technical manager of COSMA HPC Cluster. Based on a 6D torus, we found the Rockport Switchless Network to be remarkably easy to setup and install. We looked at codes that rely on point-to-point communications between all nodes with varying packet sizes where typically congestion can reduce performance on traditional networks. We were able to achieve consistent low latency under load and look forward to seeing the impact this will have on even larger-scale cosmology simulations.

Theres been significant evidence that would suggest that switchless architectures have the capacity to significantly up level application performance that traditionally has come at great cost, stated Earl C. Joseph, CEO, Hyperion Research. Making these advances more economically accessible should greatly benefit the global research community and hopefully improve expectations relative to what we can expect from the network when it comes to return-on-research and time-to-results.

Our mission is to provide the advanced computing community with standard libraries such as MVAPICH2 that support the very best possible performance available in the market. We make it a top priority to keep our libraries fresh with innovative approaches, like Rockport Networks new switchless architecture, said DK Panda, professor and distinguished scholar of computer science at the Ohio State University, and lead for the Network-Based Computing Research Group. We look forward to our ongoing partnership with Rockport to define new standards for our upcoming releases.

Availability and Additional Information

The Rockport Switchless Network is available immediately.

For additional information including full product details, please visit:https://rockportnetworks.com.

Rockport Networks Launch Activities

Following the launch of the Rockport Switchless Network, the company will participate in a number of industry events including:

Virtual Roundtable with HPCwire November 10: Rockport joins Dell, TACC, OSU and Hyperion Research for a virtual discussion: Quieting Noisy Neighbors: Keys to Addressing Congestion in Multi-workload Environments.Register here.

Rockport Networks at SC21 November 14-19: Rockport is a sponsor of the SC21 Virtual Exhibit. Rockport experts will be available to answer questions in the virtual exhibit hall and Rockport CTO Matthew Williams will present: Advanced congestion control for addressing network performance bottlenecks using a next generation interconnect, with a live Q&A. Learn more at http://www.rockportnetworks.com/sc21.

About Rockport Networks

Rockport Networks next-generation of high-performance networks unlocks the entire data center to produce more results, faster, and with better economics and environmental sustainability. Modeled after the worlds fastest supercomputers, the Rockport Switchless Network replaces centralized switch architectures with a distributed, high-performance direct interconnect that is self-discovering, self-configuring and self-healing, and that is simple and transparent to operate. By virtually eliminating congestion and latency, data center workloads can be completed significantly faster, enabling organizations to improve ROI and make critical decisions more quickly. Learn more atwww.rockportnetworks.com.

Source: Rockport Networks

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Rockport Networks Announces Availability of New Switchless Network and Collaboration with TACC - HPCwire

Quantum computing: Expensive, uncertain, nascent -- and essential

Quantum computing and communications technology is at least 10 years away, likely to require billions in investments that may not pay off, but absolutely essential to the nations future.

Thats according to a recent technology assessment of quantum computing by the Government Accountability Office. GAO checked in with quantum experts in government, academia and industry to distill thinking on the technologys potential applications, benefits and drawbacks; factors that could affect development; and policy options to help address those factors.

Quantum computing development will depend on collaboration across disciplines, sectors and countries, a skilled workforce and long-term investments ranging from targeted research to test beds and grand challenges. A robust supply chain must also be in place to deliver essential components from rare-Earth minerals to manufacturing capabilities.

Quantum communications, which could revolutionize aspects of information transmission, will also require advances in network components and architectures. GAO said it expects quantum networking to start with pre-quantum networks, such as those that can exchange encryption keys over short distances and have already been demonstrated. Quantum networks would allow for two parties to directly communicate by creating shared, entangled quantum states. A quantum internet connecting global quantum and classical computing sites may take decades, the report said.

Both quantum computing and quantum communications will require more work on hardware, software, algorithms, programming languages, memory and supporting technologies. Even when fully realized, the technology faces potential limitations, including results that are difficult to interpret, slow data transmission rates, susceptibility to jamming and cyberattacks as well as high energy costs. Additionally, industry may find that quantum technologies have prohibitively high costs and complexity, making a return on investment unclear.

Nevertheless, the potential applications are enticing. Quantum computing has potential to improve agriculture, energy, finance, pharmaceuticals, supply chains and security, but for the near term, GAO found, classical computing will be a better option until quantum machines demonstrate significantly improved results at a reasonable cost. That ROI, the experts said, will likely vary by application.

To encourage the development of quantum technologies, GAO recommended policymakers encourage collaboration across disciplines, sectors and nations to speed technology transfer. Expanding the potential workforce is also critical, so creating a quantum curriculum and supporting graduate training programs will help until specific workforce needs become apparent. Additionally, policymakers should incentivize industry investment in quantum technologies through testbeds, research centers and grand challenges and the establishment of a robust secure supply chain.

Read the full report here.

About the Author

Connect with the GCN staff on Twitter @GCNtech.

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Quantum computing: Expensive, uncertain, nascent -- and essential - GCN.com

Forget what Goldman Sachs said about useful quantum computing being five years away in finance. Banks can already get a 100-fold advantage by using quantum computers to solve problems such as portfolio optimisation and fraud detection fraud, says Spanish startup Multiverse Computing.

The company, which raised a 10m seed funding round today, has developed a quantum software product that it is supplying to customers including BBVA, Bankia the European Tax Agency and the Bank of Canada.

For problems like optimising investment portfolios and detecting fraud, quantum computers can already outperform classical computers.

It depends on the problem you are trying to solve, says Enrique Lizaso, chief executive. For some problems like optimising investment portfolios and machine learning to detect banking fraud, quantum computers can already outperform classical computers today.

Tasks like thesecan be done 100 times faster using quantum rather than classical computers, even though todays quantum computers are still relatively limited, with less than 100 qubits and high error rates.

Goldman Sachs which has been working with quantum startup QCWare to test out practical applications has estimated that it would take machines with 7500 qubits and five more years for quantum computing to be of practical use to the financial services industry. Jeremy OBrien, CEO of photonic quantum computing company PsiQuantum, says quantum computers must reach 1m qubits something he believes is a decade away to be useful.

However, by focusing on problems that are particularly well suited to quantum computers, Multiverse says it is possible to get quantum advantage even with todays small, error-prone machines.

The San Sebastian-headquartered company matches the algorithm, on the back end, to a particular type of quantum computer that is best suited for that problem. For example D-Waves machines are good for optimisation problems while IBM and IonQs quantum computers perform better on machine learning, says Lizaso.

Other types of problems can still be tricky to solve with quantum computing, such as working out pricing for complex financial instruments (which relies on running so-called Monte Carlo simulations that QC Ware and Goldman Sachs were looking at) or for large-scale simulations. For these, we are likely to need quantum machines with larger numbers of qubits.

Imagine an early computer in the 1970s and asking it to be able to recognise voice and search the internet it would be impossible. But you could use it to run a spreadsheet.

Imagine an early computer in the 1970s and asking it to be able to recognise voice and search the internet it would be impossible. But you could use it to run a spreadsheet, it would still be useful. Thats what it is like with quantum computers today, says Lizaso.

Given the fierce competition in the industry to hire top talent and to win relationships with the biggest clients, Multiverse wants to grow quickly. The company is aiming to expand the service into other sectors such as energy and grow headcount from the current 27 staff to close to 50 by the end of this year, and to more than 200 by 2027. The company is planning to raise a further 50m next year.

You have to grow like hell at the moment.

You have to grow like hell at the moment, says Lizaso, noting that many of Multiverses competitors are large tech incumbents like IBM and Google, and that quantum software rival Cambridge Quantum Computing recently merged with Honeywell to give itself more firepower.

Multiverses seed round was led by JME Ventures and also included Quantonation, EASO Ventures, Inveready, Mondragn Fondo de Promocin, Ikerlan, LKS, and Penja Strategy.

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Quantum algorithms that speed up banking operations 100x are here - Sifted

A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on development of quantum information technologies covers the general waterfront on the current status of the technologies, but notes that development of game-changing systems are probably still ten years and billions of dollars of further investments away.

GAO prepared its report to assess the potential of quantum information technologies, and dig into benefits and risks, as well as policy options for the government to help guide and prepare for further development.

Quantum information technologies aim to use the properties of nature at atomic scales to accomplish tasks that are not achievable with existing technologies, GAO wrote in the report. These technologies rely on qubits, the quantum equivalent of classical computer bits.

According to GAO, quantum information cant be copied, is fragile, and can be irreversibly lost, resulting in errors that are challenging to correct.

On the plus side, the report says that quantum computing and communications technology could be developed in tandem, because the two share physics principles, laboratory techniques, and common hardware.

Quantum communications technologies may have uses for secure communications, quantum networking, and a future quantum internet, wrote GAO. Potential drawbacks of quantum technology include cost, complexity, energy consumption, and the possibility of malicious use.

GAO identified four big factors that will impact quantum development and use, including:

And the government watchdog agency provided policy options around those four factors for policymakers to consider.

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GAO on Quantum Tech Development: 10 Years, Billions to Go - MeriTalk

Custom Ion Trap System will be Used to Test and Validate Hardware for Quantum Information Applications

BOULDER, Colo., Oct. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ColdQuanta, the leader in Cold Atom Quantum Technology, today announced the company has embarked on its first project under the newly branded Quantum Research as a Service (QRaaS) Division to build a Custom Ion Trap System for Oak Ridge National Labs (ORNL). The QRaaS division sits alongside the company's Quantum Computing and Cold Atom Technology groups, and is dedicated to discovering breakthrough technology in support of government and enterprises. The Oak Ridge system will apply thoughtful engineering to create a high performance and modular system that enables rapid testing of cryogenic electronics, ion trap architectures, and system integration strategies. The cryogenic ion trapping system combines the modular design and systems engineering that ColdQuanta has demonstrated in several of its products to produce a reliable system that is tailored to the customer's needs for testing and prototyping ion trap hardware.

(PRNewsfoto/ColdQuanta, Inc.)

In recent years, ion traps have been increasingly integrated into cryogenic systems to achieve improved vacuum performance and decreased noise. Trapped ion experiments typically require bulky, one-off vacuum systems, and cryogenic experiments add yet another layer of complexity that requires more expertise and time for system design and construction. ColdQuanta's ion trapping system addresses these challenges by including a macroscopic vacuum chamber with integrated electronics, active and passive vacuum pumping mechanisms, an atomic source, thermal links, a compact helical resonator, and trapping electronics all contained within the cryostation chamber.

The cryogenic ion trapping systems fuels quantum adoption in the following ways:

Experimental architectures utilizing trapped ions are useful for applications such as computing, time keeping, and networking/communications.

Robust experimental hardware provides high performance and flexibility, which are critical for a research setting.

System integration of vacuum hardware in a cryogenic environment results in high performing compact ion trap systems.

"ORNL's cryogenic ion trapping systems is the perfect type of project for ColdQuanta's Quantum Research as a Service division because it furthers adoption of quantum in familiar areas like computing, networking, and simulation," said Max Perez, general manager, Quantum Research as a Service, at ColdQuanta. "Our mission at ColdQuanta is to show how accessible quantum can be at making everyday applications better, faster and more efficient. We're pleased that ORNL selected us to help bring this mission to life through the cryogenic ion trapping system."

Story continues

About ColdQuantaColdQuanta is the leader in Cold Atom Quantum Technology, the most scalable, versatile, and commercially viable application of quantum. The company operates three lines of business - Quantum Computing, Devices and Machines, and Quantum Research-as-a-Service. The Quantum Computing division is developing the launch of Hilbert 1.0, a cloud-based 100 qubit quantum computer. The Devices and Machines division provides products for quantum computing companies and quantum lab environments. Quantum Research-as-a-Service supports the government and enterprises in developing quantum inertial sensing, radio frequency receivers, and networking technologies, including high precision clock prototypes. ColdQuanta is based in Boulder, CO, with offices in Madison, Wisconsin and Oxford, UK. Find out more at http://www.coldquanta.com.

The name ColdQuanta and the ColdQuanta logo are both registered trademarks of ColdQuanta, Inc.

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ColdQuanta's Newly Formed Research as a Service Division Embarks on First Project with Oak Ridge National Labs - Yahoo Finance

1. Quantum computing comes out of shadows into public markets  Financial Times
2. Progress On General-Purpose Quantum Computers  SemiEngineering
3. Quantum Computing Benchmarks Begin to Take Shape  Tom's Hardware
4. Steve Reinhardt, Quantum Computing Inc.'s VP of Product  GlobeNewswire
5. Quantum computing can transform optimisation, machine learning, and cryptography  Digital Nation
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Quantum computing comes out of shadows into public markets - Financial Times

IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) is arguably the first major player in the quantum computing space. IONQ stock debuted a few weeks ago following its merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The shares of IONQ stock have been relatively quiet so far, moving just a hair above its initial $10 offering price.

Source: Shutterstock

Quantum computing is one of the most exciting new industries to emerge in recent years. It promises to transform our very notion of computing, unlocking computational power that are thousands of times beyond what is available now. Quantum computing isnt just an improvement on existing technology, but an entirely new way to think about artificial intelligence (AI).

If quantum computing makes the sorts of leaps that its backers envision, it should open up whole new fields in machine learning, computational chemistry, weather forecasting, pharmaceutical research, and many other sectors. The companies that lead this transition should be able to make a fortune, so IONQ stock could eventually soar way above its current value.

IonQ offers its customers access to its quantum computing capabilities. Those capabilities are measured in quantum bits, or qubits. At the time of its SPAC deal, IonQ offered an 11-qubit system. Over time, it should develop machines with much higher qubits, in order to stay ahead of rivals such as Rigetti Computing. Rigetti is currently trading through the shares of a SPAC named Supernova Partners Acquisition Company II(NYSE:SNII).

IonQs website identifies various, eventual uses for its next-generation computing. Its systems could eventually enable the capture of carbon from the air efficiently, potentially disarming the climate-change time bomb.

A more powerful processor might also unlock the secrets of chemistry that have so far prevented us from making truly cheap, reliable electric vehicle (EV) batteries. These sorts of innovations could change the global economy.

In its recent prospectus, IonQ issued a blunt warning to potential investors, saying: IonQ has not produced a scalable quantum computer and faces significant barriers in its attempts to produce quantum computers. If IonQ cannot successfully overcome those barriers, its business will be negatively impacted and could fail.

Its normal for companies to disclose potentially worrisome issues in the risk factor sections of their regulatory filings. Whats less common, however, is for a firms core business model to be so uncertain. Will IonQ be able to produce quantum computers cheaply enough to sell them for a commercially viable price? Well have to wait and see.

IonQ also revealed that it had found a material weakness in its accounting process. That isnt necessarily a big deal for newly-public companies. Sometimes young firms adjusting to life on the public markets need time to learn the accounting rules Still, it would be preferable for the company not to have issued such a warning.

IonQ is much closer to a start-up that a venture capital firm would back than a traditional, publicly traded company. Thats because its technology is in the earliest of stages, and its far from clear what sort of demand exists for the product right now. IonQ is still trying to develop both its technical capabilities and an attractive roster of customers.

The company doesnt expect to achieve profitability and large-scale revenue until around 2024 or 2025. And it will only be able to meet that goal if it achieves several milestones along the way.

A potential investor in IONQ stock needs to put the shares in a different category than other holdings. It isnt a blue chip name or an equity that should be held for a 20% or 30% gain. The shares could potentially skyrocket or lose most of their value, depending on how the science and industry evolves. Investors should keep that in mind when they decide how many shares of IONQ stock to buy.

IonQ or one of its rivals, such as Rigetti, could end up being a world-changing company. Quantum computing, if it delivers on its potential, would be a leap forward for science.

Even assuming that happens, however, it could easily be five years, ten years, or more until quantum computing generates high operating profits. This is not going to be an overnight process.

As a result, dont be surprised if short sellers gravitate to quantum computing stocks . Companies pursuing scientific initiatives that will take a long time to complete tend to attract critics.

Look at the recent excitement around Gingko Bioworks (NYSE:DNA) and the short seller report suggesting that its cell programming is more a pipe dream than plausible technology for now. Bears could make a similar sort of argument about quantum computing and cause the sectors stock prices to be volatile.

As IonQs own prospectus warned, its hardware is not yet advanced enough to enable it to have a business model that will allow it to grow.

The owners of IONQ stock are now funding the companys ongoing research efforts. That research could prove to be very profitable or it could come up empty.

Buying a small amount of this speculative stock might make sense at this point, but it seems prudent to wait and see how the industry develops before betting too heavily on the shares.

On the date of publication, Ian Bezek did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

Ian Bezek has written more than 1,000 articles for InvestorPlace.com and Seeking Alpha. He also worked as a Junior Analyst for Kerrisdale Capital, a $300 million New York City-based hedge fund. You can reach him on Twitter at @irbezek.

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IonQ Is the First Publicly-Traded Quantum Computing Firm - InvestorPlace

A $25 million gift from the Leinweber Foundation, founded by software entrepreneur Larry Leinweber, will help fund a new 163,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility on North Campus.

In recognition of the donation, the Board of Regents on Oct. 21 voted to name the building the Leinweber Computer Science and Information Building. This gift will bring the College of Engineerings computer science and engineering division and the School of Information together under one roof for the first time.

The move will strengthen the collaboration between the two disciplines to develop breakthrough technologies, conduct innovative research, and facilitate an innovative learning environment for students.

Computer, data and information science are quickly becoming the backbone of systems that connect society. Creating a space where top scholars in computing and information can come together to help solve some of the greatest challenges in modern medicine, transportation, smart infrastructure and more will help U-M remain at the forefront of advances in computer science and information.

Michigan has a longstanding reputation as one of the leaders and best in computer science and information, Leinweber said. We hope this new gift will further advance both of these fields and amplify U-Ms impact by bringing some of the brightest minds in engineering and information science together in one collaborative setting.

CoE and SI have a long history of transformative collaboration. Michigans legacy of leadership in computing and information dates back to the 1950s when its graduate degree in computing was established, making it one of the oldest computing programs in the nation.

Today, U-M continues to be on the cutting edge of advances in artificial intelligence, device architecture, human-computer interaction, social networks, quantum computing, data analysis and more.

In the last 10 years, the number of students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs in both CSE and SI has quadrupled, and the new building will provide much-needed space to meet the increasing demand for computer science and information graduates for research, industry and education.

The Leinweber Foundation gift is a tremendous example of U-Ms ability to unite philanthropy and multidisciplinary strength in the service of our students and innovative research that keeps us on the forefront of discovery, President Mark Schlissel said.

Currently, CoE and SI are located on different campuses a few miles apart, but the new $145 million facility will house the information school in its entirety and expand space for CoEs computer science and engineering division beyond its current home in the neighboring Bob and Betty Beyster Building. Furthermore, it will help attract the top talent for aspiring computer science and information scholars.

The new facility will serve as a hub for computer science and information students, with flexible classrooms and the latest technology, open spaces for group learning opportunities, collaboration spaces, labs and more. The Board of Regents is expected to review construction plans for the building later this year.

Co-location is essential to seed and sustain high impact interdisciplinary work, said Thomas Finholt, professor and dean of the School of Information. By joining faculty and students from multiple disciplinary backgrounds in one place, we will accelerate, enrich and increase the boundary-spanning interactions that produce innovative paths of research.

Thanks to the gift from the Leinweber Foundation, well be better able to solve the problems of the future by combining insights across disciplines in new ways.

The new Leinweber Computer Science and Information Building will eliminate the need for top talent to choose between working in a CSE environment or an SI environment across town, thereby removing barriers between like-minded colleagues. This convergence of disciplines will also strengthen the academic culture, promoting the fusion of human-centered and technical perspectives to critical areas, such as artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction and machine learning.

Technology is becoming more dependent on information our products are getting smarter and require programming that is human-focused and free from bias, said Alec Gallimore, the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering, Richard F. and Eleanor A. Towner Professor, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and professor of aerospace engineering.

By bringing these important fields into collaboration, this incredible investment from the Leinweber Foundation will help Michigan remain not only a top-flight university, but one that draws upon a range of disciplines and perspectives to ensure that the innovation closes societal gaps and has a positive impact on all populations.

In addition, the new building will play a key role in the universitys mission toward carbon neutrality. The university plans a phased campuswide transition to geothermal heating and cooling systems, beginning with this new building.

Since 2010, Larry Leinweber and his wife, Claudia Babiarz, have supported students and programs at U-M, including CoE, LSA, the Medical School and the Stephen M. Ross School of Business. They created the Leinweber Software Scholars Program at CoE in 2013 and established the Leinweber Center for Theoretical Physics in LSA in 2017.

Leinweber founded and served as CEO of New World Systems Corp., a Troy, Michigan, software company providing enterprise resource planning software for city and county governments, with a primary focus on public safety software for 911 dispatch centers, law enforcement, fire departments and paramedics. Babiarz served as corporate counsel at New World Systems for more than 27 years.

Leinweber and Babiarz have two children, David Leinweber and Ashley Leinweber, both U-M alumni. Ashley Leinweber is vice president of the Leinweber Foundation. David Leinweber serves on the advisory board for CSE in the engineering college and is CEO of Ascent Cloud, a Detroit-based sales technology software company. David Leinwebers wife, Jessica Leinweber, a U-M alumna, serves as executive director of the Leinweber Foundation. Larry Leinwebers other three children, Eric, Danica and Lezlee, also contribute to his work.

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$25M gift to help fund computer science, information building | The University Record - The University Record

An effective national technology strategy requires investments in critical and emerging technologies, the director of the Defense Innovation Unit said.

Michael Brown spoke virtually today at a Center for a New American Security event.

The U.S. needs to maintain its leadership in areas such as quantum computing, microelectronics, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and aerospace, he said. "This requires a national statement that we want to be premier in these technologies and that's going to require investment in basic research."

Meanwhile, China now has created a pretty big gap in terms of the number of engineers they're graduating relative to the U.S., he noted.

In the U.S., capital markets are rewarding very short-term performance measures. "With that short-term nature we're not building the kind of national capabilities we need," Brown said.

On the other hand, competition is good and is what has allowed the U.S. to have such a prosperous economy.

Brown also mentioned the importance of sharing critical technologies with allies and partners and avoiding duplicative research.

Talent management was also addressed.

"What we're doing to bring in technology talent into the department is insufficient to meet the challenge," he said.There are a number of fellowship programs in the department. One is sponsored by DIU: the Technology and National Security Fellowship program, he said.

However, the number of such programs is not really meeting the needs. "The successes here are too small relative to what we need for the challenge going forward," he said.

Brown noted that in Silicon Valley where DIU is headquartered, immigrants have played an important part in the growth of cutting edge companies.

The Defense Department needs to attract the best talent possible, he said, both from within the department, from allies, partners and immigrants.

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Investments in Technology Crucial to Staying Ahead, Innovation Unit Director Says - Department of Defense