en.Wedoany.com Reported - On June 22, local time, U.S. President Donald Trump signed two executive orders related to quantum technology, targeting the application and deployment of quantum computing research and the migration of government information systems to post-quantum cryptography. The two orders simultaneously promote the application of quantum computing, quantum sensing, and quantum networks, while strengthening defenses against the encryption security risks posed by quantum computing.
The first executive order focuses on quantum innovation and research applications, requiring the establishment of a "Quantum Computer for Application Development and Discovery Science" initiative, coordinated by the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology. The goal of this initiative is to deliver at least one quantum computer at a Department of Energy facility and, where conditions permit, make it available to the scientific community to advance the application of quantum computing in scientific discovery.
Quantum computing is regarded as a key direction for next-generation computing technology. Its advantage lies not in replacing all traditional computing, but in providing new pathways to solve certain complex problems. Fields such as materials science, chemical simulation, drug development, energy systems, and complex optimization may be the first to benefit from advancements in quantum computing capabilities. By issuing this executive order, the U.S. aims to coordinate agencies including the Department of Energy, the Department of Commerce, and the National Science Foundation to push quantum computing from basic research toward usable systems and application validation.
The executive order also requires relevant departments to advance quantum sensing and quantum networks. The U.S. Department of Defense and related agencies must identify at least three next-generation quantum sensing projects within 60 days and prioritize the deployment of relevant sensors by September 30, 2028. The Department of Commerce, the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration are also required to develop a five-year plan for quantum sensing, quantum networks, space applications, and distributed quantum computing.
The second executive order focuses on post-quantum cryptography migration. Once quantum computers reach sufficient scale, they could threaten the widely used public-key encryption systems. The U.S. government defines post-quantum cryptography as cryptographic algorithms or methods capable of resisting attacks from both quantum computers and classical computers, and requires federal agencies to accelerate the identification of critical systems, develop migration plans, and designate responsible personnel.
Under the executive order, each federal agency must designate a post-quantum cryptography migration lead within 30 days. The Office of Management and Budget will issue guidance within 90 days, requiring agencies to review lists of high-value assets and high-impact systems, and to complete key-establishment-related post-quantum cryptography migration for these systems by December 31, 2030, and digital-signature-related migration by December 31, 2031. The National Institute of Standards and Technology under the Department of Commerce must also launch a post-quantum cryptography migration pilot and complete it by the end of 2027.
This arrangement indicates that the U.S. quantum strategy now covers both "offensive capability building" and "defensive system migration." Quantum computing is used to drive scientific computing and industrial innovation, while post-quantum cryptography addresses the cybersecurity risk of "harvest now, decrypt later." For government systems, critical infrastructure, and the digital economy, cryptographic migration is not a simple software patch but a systematic project involving asset inventories, hardware devices, cloud systems, application protocols, supplier compliance, and procurement rules.
In May of this year, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced letters of intent with nine companies, proposing $2.013 billion in federal incentive funding to support quantum manufacturing and quantum computing enterprises. Among them, GlobalFoundries and IBM will receive proposed support for quantum manufacturing infrastructure, while companies such as Atom Computing, D-Wave, Infleqtion, and PsiQuantum are also included in the quantum technology portfolio support scope.
These two executive orders extend the U.S. quantum strategy from funding support to government procurement, research facilities, cryptographic standards, and critical infrastructure security. For the quantum industry chain, these policy signals will drive quantum chips, cryogenic systems, control electronics, photonic devices, quantum sensors, quantum software, and post-quantum cryptography products into more defined government demand scenarios.
For quantum computing to truly transform industries, it must overcome challenges such as error correction, stability, scalable manufacturing, and application software ecosystems. For post-quantum cryptography to be fully implemented, it is also necessary to first identify how many algorithms, certificates, protocols, and devices in existing systems rely on old encryption systems. By signing these executive orders, the U.S. is effectively placing both long-term tasks on a timeline: pursuing quantum computers capable of scientific discovery while preemptively upgrading cybersecurity locks before the quantum era arrives.
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