In this issue:

• QIC launches new Affiliate program 🚀
• QIC welcomes 3 new members 🙌
• Apple turns to post-quantum crypto to future proof iMessage 🍏🔒
• Highlights from the QIC community 👏
• The latest quantum buzz 🗞️
• Career opportunities in Canada's quantum industry 💼
• Quantum events in Canada 🗓️

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🚀 QIC launches new Affiliate program to bolster Canada's quantum ecosystem

We are thrilled to share that QIC has officially launched our Affiliate program, welcoming our inaugural Affiliates:

• ​CANARIE: the federal partner in the National Research and Education Network whose programs equip Canada’s researchers, students, and startups to excel on the global stage
• ​ACET: a technology business incubator-accelerator that helps entrepreneurs by propelling innovative technologies that have a positive impact on society, and offers a program tailored for quantum startups
• ​Quantacet: a Canadian venture capital fund and one of the very few funds globally dedicated to the quantum technology market

Our new Affiliate program supports QIC's mission to transform Canada’s quantum capabilities and strengths into business success and economic prosperity by enhancing connections with a wider range of organizations who play key supporting roles in propelling quantum innovation and commercialization across the country. These include tech adopters, business accelerators, funding organizations, academic and research institutions, among others.

​→ ​Read the full story. ​

📈 🙌 Here we grow again!

A warm welcome to three new QIC members:

• ​Nord Quantique, based in Sherbrooke, Quebec, is developing superconducting quantum computers with the redundancies necessary for quantum error correction built directly into individual qubits. This breakthrough approach eliminates the need for a large overhead of physical qubits, potentially making the path to fault tolerance far shorter for this innovative startup.
• ​OZ Optics, headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, stands as a global leader in the fiber optics industry. Their expertise in designing, manufacturing, and distributing an extensive array of fiber optic products, test equipment, and sensors plays an important role in supporting the development of quantum technologies.
• ​Quantum Valley Ideas Lab (QVIL), based in Waterloo, Ontario, operates as an independent, not-for-profit applied research lab dedicated to fast-tracking the commercialization of quantum technologies. Their work underscores the deep research and industry experience needed to bring quantum innovations from the lab to the marketplace.

QIC now represents nearly 50 quantum technology and allied organizations among its members and affiliates, underscoring the pivotal role of the consortium's efforts to unite and propel Canada's quantum industry forward. Onwards!

​Read the full story here.​

🍏🔒 Quantum-ready: Apple's big encryption upgrade

What's up with Apple's big new encryption upgrade?

Encryption is what keeps our digital life locked away from unwanted eyes. But here's the kicker: quantum computing is on the horizon, and it's got the power to pick the locks we're using today.

Apple didn't wait around to see that happen. They just beefed up iMessage with their most significant cryptographic security upgrade yet to stand strong against quantum computing attacks, showing they're thinking ahead to make sure our chats stay private in the quantum era (more technical details on Apple's iMessage upgrade here).

The privacy focused messaging app Signal also added a layer of protection against the threat of quantum computing back in September.

Why get quantum-ready now?

Why rush to quantum-proof encryption today, you ask? Quantum computers aren't just a sci-fi dream—they're becoming reality, and with them, the potential to unlock our digital secrets. But there's more at stake here. There's a strategy called "harvest now, decrypt later" where bad actors collect encrypted data today, waiting for the day they can break it open with quantum computing. It's like someone stealing a safe they can't open yet, but they know they'll crack it eventually.

That's why moving to post-quantum encryption now isn't just smart; it's essential. It's about making sure our secrets today don't become open secrets tomorrow.

QIC members: At the forefront of quantum-safe technology

And it's not just Apple and Signal leading the charge. Here in the QIC community, our members are on the frontline, crafting the quantum-safe tech that keeps Canada at the forefront of this new global digital arms race.

In essence, adopting post-quantum encryption now is our move to stay one step ahead, securing our digital present and future against the harvest-now-decrypt-later threat. With Apple and Signal's proactive steps and our QIC members' pioneering work, we're all in on ensuring our digital fortress remains impenetrable, even in the face of quantum advancements.

Interested in diving deeper into quantum-safe encryption and new quantum-based technologies being developed to secure our digital communications? Check out the work of our member companies, leading the charge in quantum-safe advancements: 01 Communique, Bita Quantum AI, BTQ, CEW Systems, Crypto4A Technologies, evolutionQ, InfoSec Global, ISARA Corporation, NXM Labs, Pauli Group, QEYnet, Quantized Technologies, Quantropi, and Quantum Bridge Technologies

👏 QIC community achievements and highlights

Dive into the latest achievements and highlights from the QIC community:

• The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario recently announced investments in CogniFrame, Crypto4A, Foqus Technologies, ForeQast, ISARA, Quantropi, and Xanadu via the Regional Quantum Initiative.
• ​NRC announced funding for Canada-UK quantum collaborators, including for six QIC members: Ki3 Photonics, Photonic, Quantum Bridge Technologies, SBQuantum, softwareQ, and Xanadu.
• BTQ Technologies, CSIRO, and leading universities unite in the Next Generation Emerging Technologies Graduates Program (NGETGP) to Cultivate Tech Talent → Read more​
• Crypto4A announces $7.5m Quantum-Safe Secure Manufacturing Initiative in conjunction with the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario → Read more​
• D-Wave and Zapata AI announce a strategic technical and commercial collaboration to advance quantum-enabled machine learning​.
• D-WAVE and NEC introduce two new quantum services to the Australian market.
• InfoSec Global's Nagy Moustafa and Vladimir Soukharev participated in a recent White House roundtable discussing the requirements of the US's Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act.
• Multiverse Computing has been named the winner of the Future Unicorn Award 2024 by DIGITALEUROPE.
• Nanoacademic Technologies is celebrated for its Quantum Technology Computer-Aided Design (QTCAD), taking their product to market in partnership with NRC → Read more.
• Nord Quantique and other members of the Quebec quantum ecosystem recently returned from a Quebec quantum trade mission to South Korea and Japan. Here and here are updates from our friends at Québec Quantique.
• PASQAL has partnered with UCalgary to boost the Quantum City innovation pipeline → Read more​
• Quantized Technologies Inc (QTi) has joined ACET's portfolio of incubated companies → Read more​
• Quantum Bridge Technologies was honoured as one of the CIX 2024 Top Early Growth Award recipients → Read more​
• Hoi-Kwong Lo, Co-founder and CTO at Quantum Bridge Technologies' was recently named a 2024 IEEE Fellow.
• ​QHack 2024 recently wrapped up. Congrats to the Xanadu team for putting on another edition of this world-renowned event!
• An SBQuantum quantum magnetometer and Silicon Microgravity gravimeter are being combined into a compact form that can be mounted on a drone to detect critical minerals and metals. → Read more.​
• Zero Point Cryogenics has moved on to the final round at Creative Destruction Lab - Quantum. → Read more. ​
• A number of QIC members — including Anyon Systems, evolutionQ, Pasqal, Quantized Technologies, Quantum Valley Ideas Lab, SBQuantum, and Zero Point Cryogenics — were recently together in Calgary, AB to participate in the program for the first in-person Quantum Days conference organized by Deep Tech Canada. Here are summaries of Days 1, 2, and 3 of the event.

🗞️ Buzzworthy quantum headlines and resources

• The Government of Quebec committed $3.14 million to DistriQ's Quantum Innovation Zone for the commissioning and first year operation of Espace Quantique 1 (EQ1), a 50,000 sq. ft. space entirely dedicated to the quantum technology industry and shared by a number of QIC members, → Read more.​
• The Platform for Digital and Quantum Innovation of Quebec (PINQ²) launches the Harfang computing platform, which gives PINQ² the ability to provide high performance computing (HPC) in addition to a hybrid quantum computing platform. → Read more.​
• A new report by the Regulatory Horizons Council has set out a pro-innovation approach to regulating quantum technologies. → Read more.​

💼 Career opportunities in Canada's quantum industry

Interested in joining a sector that's forging tomorrow's path?

The Canadian quantum industry presents an unparalleled chance to lead in cutting-edge technology.

No matter if your expertise is in business or technical disciplines, this vibrant and pivotal sector has a role for you.

Take a look at a variety of open positions at our QIC member companies and affiliates:

• ​01 Communique is has a number of openings in engineering, enterprise sales, and marketing
• ​Agnostiq is hiring a High-Performance Computing Engineer
• ​BTQ has open roles in engineering, cryptography, product management, and Web3 development
• ​CANARIE is hiring a Identity Access Management (IAM) Support Specialist and a Procurement Manager
• ​CMC Microsystems has openings for Scientific Staff in Quantum Computing, Technical Staff in Microelectronics, and a Legal Contracts Specialist
• ​D-Wave has open roles in business services, R&D, and sales & marketing
• ​evolutionQ is looking for a Controller
• ​InfoSec Global has open roles in cybersecurity and cryptography engineering and sales
• ​ISARA is looking for a Full Stack Developer
• ​Nanoacademic Technologies is seeking a Devops Developer/Software Developer
• ​Nord Quantique is hiring a Lead of their Quantum Applications Group and a Quantum Characterization Expert
• ​NXM Labs is looking for a Sales Development Representative, a Senior Full Stack Developer, and a Senior DevOps Engineer
• ​OZ Optics has nearly 50 open roles in all areas of its business
• ​Pasqal has open roles in Sherbrooke, QC for a Legal Contract Specialist and an Assistant Controller
• ​Photonic has open roles relating to quantum processors, hardware engineering, program management, integrated photonics, marketing & communications, and operations
• ​Q-Block Computing is looking for an Experimental AO Physics and a UI Designer & Programmer
• ​Quantum Valley Ideas Lab is hiring an Electrical Engineer, a Software Engineer, and a number of postdocs
• ​softwareQ is looking for a quantum software engineer, a quantum algorithms and/or quantum error correction (fault-tolerance) researcher, and an intern (co-op)
• ​Xanadu has open roles in quantum computing education, finance & operations, hardware, and software & algorithms
• ​Zero Point Cryogenics is looking for a Cryogenics Expert / R&D Scientist and a Technical Sales Associate

📅 Quantum events in Canada

• ​World Quantum Day is April 14
• ​​Quantum Connections hosted in Waterloo, ON May 1-2
• ​IQT Vancouver Pacific Rim hosted in Vancouver BC June 4-6
• ​IEEE Quantum Week 2024 hosted in Montreal, QC September 15-20
• ​qConnect2024 hosted in Calgary, AB October 2-3