ASU professor leads initiative for Phoenix Quantum Strategy, making Phoenix a national technology hub

The Phoenix Quantum Strategy is a new initiative aiming to position Phoenix as a quantum hub in the United States, adding to recent efforts to grow the area’s economy through key industries, efforts that led to Phoenix recently being named one of the top four cities for gross domestic product growth. Mayor Kate Gallego announced the Phoenix Quantum Strategy during her April 21, 2026, State of the City address.

Quantum technology, which has applications from health to national security, uses the strange physics of particles to build new, problem-solving technologies. Quantum computers, for example, may one day solve problems that would take today’s supercomputers thousands of years.

Leading this initiative is Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, former director of the National Science Foundation and now University Professor of Technology and Innovation at ASU. Dr. Panchanathan joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss ASU’s role in these efforts and what can be expected from the new initiative.

When it comes down to the efficiency of the quantum strategy, Dr. Panchanathan compared it to using a page down command to traverse a page rather than going character by character.

“The elegance of it is it’s able to do multiple things at the same time,” Dr. Panchanathan said.

In the world of quantum, everyone is trying to find their niche, according to Dr. Panchanathan. The way he said Phoenix and Arizona as a whole will be able to find its niche is through the people who reside here and their ideas. Another way is through all of the start-ups that have taken shape in Phoenix.

Altogether, these different moving parts can come together to progress the growth of quantum in the Valley. Dr. Panchanathan said we have seen this done before with semiconductors.

“How to work with public private partnerships, how to bring universities, cities, industries, start-up ecosystems, all of them working together focused on something that we want to really do well in Arizona. We have shown that it is possible; those lessons can serve us well in building this quantum ecosystem,” Dr. Panchanathan said.

Getting started on building a quantum ecosystem can be done in 6 months to a year, according to Dr. Panchanathan. However, establishing that ecosystem and empowering people within it can take years.