Sydney quantum computing software startup Q-CTRL has been awarded $2.75 million contract by the federal government as part of a plan to deliver the defence sector additional capabilities in quantum and counter disinformation technologies.
The Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator’s (ASCA) Emerging and Disruptive Technologies (EDT) program has signed 21 contracts as part of an investment of over $60 million with Australian universities and industry partners.
The program received 179 proposals all up.
The funding fits within the priorities outlined in the National Defence Strategy, with the EDT program designed to advance existing and new deterrence capabilities.
The Australian Army has already engaged with Q-CTRL to explore how quantum computing can solve logistical problems, tackling how to best optimise departure schedules and routes of 5,000 convoys during Exercise Talisman Sabre, the combined ADF and US military training exercise.
Q-CTRL’s products made it easy to test prototype quantum optimisation solutions and achieve meaningful results despite medium-scale and error-prone hardware.
Federal defence industry and capability delivery minister Pat Conroy said the ASCA drives cutting-edge research and development and capability delivery aligned with Defence priorities.
“In uncertain strategic circumstances, we must harness our national ingenuity and technology advances to deter hostile acts against Australia and in our region,” he siad
“Defence is working with industry and research partners to develop solutions that can provide our soldiers, sailors and aviators with an asymmetric advantage on the battlefield.
Others receiving funding included $3.3m for Queensland’s Analog Quantum Circuits, which designs and fabricates superconducting devices for quantum computing; $2.46m for Nomad Atomics in Victoria, which specialises in the development of high precision quantum sensors; and $3.15m for South Australia’s Consunet, which works on capabilities in electromagnetic warfare and spectrum management.
The University of Adelaide, UNSW, Monash and UTS were also big winners in the $60m program.
The full list of recipients are:
| Organisation | State | Contract Value (inc GST) |
| Analog Quantum Circuits | QLD | $3,299,967 |
| Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisations (CSIRO) | VIC | $1,530,969 |
| Consunet Pty Ltd | SA | $3,146,000 |
| DeteQt Pty Ltd | NSW | $3,287,143 |
| Diamond Defence | VIC | $3,215,991 |
| Infleqtion (Cold Quanta) | VIC | $3,300,000 |
| Monash University | VIC | $3,297,408 |
| Monash University | VIC | $3,170,864 |
| Nomad Atomics | ACT | $2,458,718 |
| Q-CTRL Pty Ltd | NSW | $3,275,371 |
| QuantX Labs | SA | $3,264,800 |
| QuantX Labs | SA | $3,146,007 |
| Lockheed Martin Australia
Advanced Systems & Technologies |
ACT | $3,288,695 |
| University of Adelaide | SA | $1,800,500 |
| University of Adelaide | SA | $3,280,688 |
| University of New South Wales | NSW | $1,303,172 |
| University of New South Wales | NSW | $2,981,943 |
| University of South Australia | SA | $3,167,452 |
| University of Technology Sydney | NSW | $3,260,760 |
| University of Technology Sydney | NSW | $2,683,227 |
| University of Western Australia | WA | $2,071,070 |
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