COLUMBIA, S.C.: ‘One of those transformational investments’: $15M brings quantum computing to SC

South Carolina Legislature Invests in Quantum Computing

The next technology that has the potential to transform industries from healthcare to finance to manufacturing is one with which many South Carolinians might not be familiar. It’s called quantum computing, and thanks to a significant investment from the state legislature, it has already arrived in the Palmetto State.

In the current state budget, $15 million was allocated to bring access to quantum computing to South Carolina, the state’s largest investment ever in a tech initiative. “The quantum technology is the technology of the future, and we at South Carolina shouldn’t be lagging behind. We can be on the cutting edge of that,” Sen. Dick Harpootlian, D – Richland, the legislator who advocated for the money in the budget, said.

University of South Carolina Utilizes Quantum Computing

Right from their laptops, students at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business can tap into a web portal to access a quantum computer many miles away. They use it to solve complex problems, like how to build a financial portfolio that will make the most money with the least risk. “If we were to do it classically [on a regular computer], it would take hundreds, if not thousands of years sometimes, when a quantum computer would take minutes,” senior Jordan Fowler said.

Fowler is part of the first team of students in South Carolina to have this access, thanks to the $15 million the legislature spent to get the program started. Harpootlian pushed for it multiple times in the budget.

South Carolina Quantum Association Spearheads the Program

Two years ago, a $25 million earmark for the state to purchase its own quantum computer was requested, but Gov. Henry McMaster vetoed that allocation. Last year, Harpootlian adjusted the request to $15 million to cover the cost to rent time on quantum computers accessible through a web portal. This time, the governor kept the request to fund the program, overseen by the newly formed South Carolina Quantum Association.

Education and Training in Quantum Computing

The key component of this investment is education, training students throughout the state in this emerging technology. “We want to utilize the technology to help, one, prepare our students for the future, and then two, help them get jobs using it,” Brandon Mendez, a clinical assistant professor of finance at USC, said.

Potential for Economic Growth in South Carolina

Students trained under this new program could potentially start their own companies in South Carolina after they graduate, or it encourages more companies to move and grow in the state to tap into that burgeoning network of experts. “We ought to do whatever we can to make sure that technology stays here and, again, that the best and the brightest stay here in South Carolina,” Harpootlian said.

Future Plans and Expansion

The program is currently in its “execution phase” but plans to pursue federal grants down the road to build upon the money it received from the state to get started. “In a perfect world, 20 years from now, this is a regional center of excellence, and it burst out of this investment the state made in this past year,” South Carolina Quantum Association Executive Director Joe Queenan said.

“This is one of those transformational investments,” Queenan said. The introduction of quantum computing to South Carolina represents a significant leap into the future of technology, positioning the state as a leader in this cutting-edge field.