Quantum Valley the perfect setting for second revolution
More companies need to be developed to commercialize discoveries: Lazaridis
WATERLOO — As the so-called second quantum revolution dawns, Canada, and Waterloo Region, have already proven themselves key players.
In less than 20 years, this region has witnessed the creation of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, the Institute for Quantum Computing and the Quantum-Nano Centre, the latter two both located at the University of Waterloo.
There’s also Quantum Valley Investments, with a focus on commercializing some of the technologies and discoveries emerging at the research level.
Canada is grouped with the world’s leaders in quantum research — the United States, China, Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan among them — when measured by such benchmarks as patent applications.
“That’s a major achievement,” Mike Lazaridis told an audience Thursday at the Waterloo Innovation Summit. His philanthropy and passion have been pivotal in making that happen.
The Research In Motion (now BlackBerry) co-founder is a common link between the research and commercial entities mentioned above, having established, funded or co-founded all of them. The Quantum-Nano Centre is named in honour of Lazaridis and his wife, Ophelia.
He’s proud to call this region Quantum Valley; given his contributions, he’s pretty much its de facto mayor. But he’s quick to credit his partners in business, government and academia in embracing the vision and positioning Canada to capitalize on the emerging quantum world. Making important investments early in the game was key.
“Canada could never have caught up if government, the region, academic and business leaders hadn’t gotten together,” he said. “The world has woken up to this … We have literally a global race that’s formed.”
And there’s a lot at stake, he argued. “Not only will the second quantum revolution impact all industries and all technologies, it will transform our lives,” he said.
If the first quantum revolution yielded technologies that basically rely on the effects of quantum mechanics, ranging from lasers to transistors, the second revolution is seeing the leveraging of these strange and “magical” quantum properties and materials, Lazaridis said.
While a quantum computer is the holy grail, “on the way, there’s all kinds of low-hanging fruit,” he said. Other key applications are emerging, from extremely sensitive sensors to highly secure communications.
Paving the way to the development of Quantum Valley was a careful 25-year strategy that began
back in 1999 with the founding of the Perimeter Institute — a way to attract talent and build research density, and a means to market the region as a quantum destination.
Other research facilities followed. The foundations for a venture capital base were laid. Recognizing the need for techsavvy business leaders, a new Institute for the Management of Technology Enterprises was founded at Wilfrid Laurier University. Partially funded by Lazaridis, it, too, is named in his honour.
But Lazaridis, who founded Quantum Valley Investments with RIM co-founder Doug Fregin, cautioned that the work is far from over. While the development of more advanced quantum computers is “inevitable,” it’s far from a quick process and the evolution of new technology takes time and money. More companies need to be developed to commercialize the discoveries, and talent needs to be retained once it’s here.
“If this is something you truly believe is going to be important … let the governments know. Tell them that you support this,” he said. “Yes, it requires philanthropy, but it also requires public support.
“It really falls on us as a society to help these researchers really pursue their dreams,” he said. “We want them to do that here.”
A further example of Lazaridis’ commitment to the quantum field came with his announcement Thursday that Raymond Laflamme, founding director of the Institute for Quantum Computing, will serve as a new research chair into quantum error correction.
Lazaridis and his wife, along with UW, are investing $8 million to support Laflamme’s research on error correction in quantum systems. Laflamme joined UW as a professor in the department of physics and astronomy in 2001; his term as executive director at the institute ended this summer. He becomes the Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis “John von Neumann” Chair in Quantum Information at UW.
“This pioneering research in quantum technologies at Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing will help further establish our impact as a global leader in quantum research,” UW president Feridun Hamdullahpur said in a release.
“The combination of Raymond Laflamme’s expertise and the Lazaridis family’s generosity ensures that the world can continue to look to Waterloo for the latest advancements in quantum knowledge and technology.”
Laflamme also holds a Canada Research Chair in Quantum Information, and is a founding faculty member at the Perimeter Institute.