Prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has hailed the University of New South Wales’ quantum computing research as the “best in the world.” Turnbull and minister for industry, innovation and science, Christopher Pyne, on Friday opened a new quantum computing laboratory complex at UNSW in Sydney. “There is no bolder idea than quantum computing,” Turnbull said, praising the work of scientia professor, Michelle Simmons, director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology (CQC2T). The new laboratories will double the productivity capacity of the UNSW headquarters of the CQC2T. They will also be used to advance development work to commercialise the university’s quantum research. Each lab will house new scanning tunnelling microscopes, which are used to manipulate individual atoms, as well as six cryogenic dilution refrigerators that can reach temperatures close to absolute zero. Professor Simmons said the Australian centre’s approach to creating a powerful quantum computer using silicon has given the university a two to three-year lead over the rest of the world. “These facilities will enable us to stay ahead of the competition,” Professor Simmons said. Late last year, as part of the National Innovation and Science Agenda, the government committed $26 million towards a projected $100 million investment to support the commercial development of the university’s research. The Commonwealth Bank and Telstra also pledged $10 million towards the development of a ten-qubit prototype. Professor Simmons expects a ten-qubit prototype integrated circuit to be built within five years. “By mapping the evolution of classic computing devices over the last century, we would expect commercial quantum computing devices to appear within 5-10 years of that milestone,” Professor Simmons said. Follow CIO Australia on Twitter and Like us on Facebook… Twitter: @CIO_Australia, Facebook: CIO Australia, or take part in the CIO conversation on LinkedIn: CIO Australia Follow Byron Connolly on Twitter: @ByronConnolly Related content brandpost Sponsored by Freshworks When your AI chatbots mess up AI ‘hallucinations’ present significant business risks, but new types of guardrails can keep them from doing serious damage By Paul Gillin Dec 08, 2023 4 mins Generative AI brandpost Sponsored by Dell New research: How IT leaders drive business benefits by accelerating device refresh strategies Security leaders have particular concerns that older devices are more vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. By Laura McEwan Dec 08, 2023 3 mins Infrastructure Management case study Toyota transforms IT service desk with gen AI To help promote insourcing and quality control, Toyota Motor North America is leveraging generative AI for HR and IT service desk requests. By Thor Olavsrud Dec 08, 2023 7 mins Employee Experience Generative AI ICT Partners feature CSM certification: Costs, requirements, and all you need to know The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification sets the standard for establishing Scrum theory, developing practical applications and rules, and leading teams and stakeholders through the development process. By Moira Alexander Dec 08, 2023 8 mins Certifications IT Skills Project Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe