Science Policy & Institutions - Part 2
202 reports
US Air Force Begins Testing Its First Collaborative Combat Aircraft
The United States Air Force has received Anduril's YFQ-44A and General Atomics' YFQ-42A for experiments on how semi-autonomous aircraft can operate with crewed fighters in contested airspace
Qambria Raises $2.4M for Quantum Control Infrastructure
Swiss startup Qambria has raised CHF 2 million to develop vendor-neutral software that links quantum processors with high-performance computing systems and handles real-time control tasks.
Surface Codes Put Logical Qubits on Trial for Patent Eligibility
Surface codes could protect logical qubits from physical errors, yet their patent claims may face an abstractness challenge unless they are tied to a specific quantum computing system and measurable implementation.
NASA Travel Reimbursements Cover TDY Moves and Foreign Assignments
NASA's NSSC handles reimbursement for authorized domestic and foreign travel while applying separate rules for rental cars, per diem, extended duty, and Change of Station claims.
Quantum Hardware Depends on a Borderless Supply Network
A survey of 160 quantum enterprises across 15 countries finds that 90% depend on foreign suppliers while 74% sell abroad, revealing why protectionist controls could disrupt the sector.
Germany Selects QUDORA Consortium for 1000 Qubit Quantum Project
Germany has invited a QUDORA-led consortium to submit a full proposal for a five-year trapped-ion machine targeting 1,000 physical qubits, 50 logical qubits and semiconductor-compatible quantum control.
NASA Tests Autonomous Systems to Make Airport Runways Safer
NASA and Boeing tested digital taxi guidance and runway sensing at Ames in March 2026, demonstrating how sensor data could detect obstacles and reduce communication errors without replacing pilots or air traffic controllers
Maryland Is Building Quantum Infrastructure Before the Market
Maryland's quantum strategy now links federal benchmarking with university research funding, hands-on training and company laboratories across five hardware approaches, creating an ecosystem whose value depends on reproducible testing and commercial results
Sanders seeks ban on artificial superintelligence
Bernie Sanders and Greg Casar have introduced a proposal for a federal pause on the most powerful AI systems, a permanent ban on artificial superintelligence, and government approval for covered frontier models.
Shannon Lucid Set a Human Spaceflight Record on Mir
Shannon Lucid spent 188 days aboard Russia's Mir, tending life-science experiments and helping NASA understand the operational, psychological, and cultural demands of long-duration spaceflight.
SK Telecom Builds a Digital Twin for Quantum Networks
SK Telecom and KISTI demonstrated a standards-compatible digital twin that lets engineers examine quantum-network configurations before installing physical QKD hardware, while reporting no new secret-key rate, distance or security-certification results.
QuEra Brings Neutral-Atom Hardware to Maryland's Quantum Cluster
QuEra has established a Discovery District office and expanded its University of Maryland partnership, giving researchers, educators, and students cloud access to a 256-qubit neutral-atom processor.
Federal Agencies Get a FIPS-Validated Quantum-Safe Key Layer
Quantum XChange will use Carahsoft's government distribution network to bring its FIPS-validated Phio TX platform to federal, state, local, and education buyers seeking post-quantum migration without replacing existing applications.
NASA Builds State Hubs for the Aerospace Workforce
NASA has launched a nationwide workforce initiative with seven State Hubs across the United States designed to connect students with technical skills, credentials, and hands-on aerospace experience.
Jura Plans a Post-Quantum Semiconductor Security Hub
SEALSQ, WISeKey and the Canton of Jura have signed an MoU for a proposed CHF 40 million to CHF 60 million center focused on post-quantum chip personalization, testing and secure provisioning.
Phasecraft Puts U.S. Quantum Software Hub in Arlington
Phasecraft is establishing its U.S. headquarters in Arlington to expand quantum-algorithm work with federal agencies across defense, energy and materials science, while technical validation remains central.
NASA Archive Maps Seven Years of Widely Attended Space Events
NASA's Widely Attended Gatherings archive brings together event determinations from 2020 through 2026, covering launches, awards dinners, policy meetings and industry receptions while showing why administrative records must be distinguished from scientific evidence.
Fortaegis Raises $50 Million for Silicon-Based Quantum-Safe Security
Fortaegis Technologies has raised an oversubscribed $50 million Series A to move its silicon-rooted Secure Compute architecture from technology validation toward commercial production across AI infrastructure, defense, telecommunications, critical infrastructure and automotive systems.
Trump's AI Force puts acceleration ahead of restraint
Donald Trump plans an AI Force and a new AI czar while rejecting calls to slow the industry, as data centers push electricity systems toward a major expansion by 2030
Quantum B Secures European Patent for Entanglement Consensus
Quantum B has received European Patent EP 4462727 for a Quantum Conference Key Agreement protocol that uses multipartite entanglement to help independent network nodes reach consensus, although no deployment or performance benchmark has yet been reported.
Pasqal and LG CNS Build a Neutral Atom Quantum Data Center Roadmap
Pasqal and LG CNS have agreed on a three-year plan to connect neutral-atom quantum processors with AI data-center infrastructure while leaving deployment, technical benchmarks, and commercial performance to be demonstrated.
QShield Brings Post-Quantum Protection to Linux Network Links
Qtonic Quantum has launched QShield as part of its SAFE/29 runtime for Linux hosts, using standardized post-quantum algorithms to secure active connections. In a reported 259,219-second AWS endurance test, the system completed 4,107 successful checks with zero failed checks and zero ping loss.
Japan Bets on Photonic Quantum Computing at 10,000 Qubits
OptQC has closed a JPY 7 billion Series A2 round and plans a Tokyo R&D hub for photonic quantum processors, while Mitsubishi Electric expands its strategic role in Japan's quantum-hardware ecosystem.
Quantum-Safe Network Platform Launches on Existing Fiber in Europe
Q-SAFE Solutions has introduced a quantum-safe communications platform built in the EU-27, combining quantum key distribution and post-quantum cryptography for telecom, infrastructure, and government networks-no dedicated dark fiber required.
Patent eligibility for quantum dot Pauli Z gate hardware faces legal scrutiny
A proposed hardware method for implementing the Pauli Z gate in quantum dot-based quantum computers highlights the unresolved legal barriers to patenting quantum operations that rely on established physical laws.
DOE launches $215 million competition for logical qubit quantum computers
The US Department of Energy is offering $215 million to teams that can build quantum computers with at least 100 logical qubits and run hundreds of millions of fault-tolerant operations, alongside a $45 million program for independent hardware benchmarking.
Falqon Systems launches multi-node quantum secure networks across Europe
Falqon Systems, formerly Q*Bird, is rolling out operational quantum secure networks in several European countries using measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution and hybrid key management.
Canada's BDC directs $1 billion to quantum and deep-tech startups
The Business Development Bank of Canada is deploying $1 billion to support quantum computing, post-quantum cryptography, and dual-use deep technologies, aiming to fill funding gaps for Canadian startups beyond the seed stage.
US and UK Back Eight Teams to Engineer Molecular Quantum States
A new $10 million joint program from the US National Science Foundation and UK Research and Innovation will support eight research teams working to control quantum coherence and entanglement in complex molecular systems.
Trump rejects new AI safety rules as tech leaders warn of risks
President Donald Trump has dismissed calls for stricter AI safeguards, insisting that strong leadership and existing regulatory powers are sufficient as US tech executives warn of escalating risks from rapid AI development.
Spain Launches Quantum Nanofabrication Facility for Device Prototyping
A new quantum nanofabrication area at IMB-CNM in Barcelona brings advanced electron-beam lithography and metrology tools to Spain's largest cleanroom for quantum device prototyping, aiming to bridge laboratory research and industrial pilot lines
Photonic Inc Plans CA$500M Silicon Quantum Fab in Vancouver
Photonic Inc has put forward Project VANGUARD, a CA$500 million semiconductor fabrication and packaging facility in Vancouver. The site would give Canadian companies a domestic option for prototyping and scaling quantum, AI, and defense hardware.
AI Labs Urged to Slow Model Upgrades After Safety Breaches
Recent AI safety incidents have led top developers to call for a pause in expanding model capabilities, citing risks from unsupervised agent behavior and gaps in alignment and cybersecurity.
European Quantum Network Field Trials Move Beyond Laboratory Prototypes
A new partnership between GÉANT and the Quantum Internet Alliance aims to connect quantum communication testbeds to Europe's research fiber backbone, advancing field trials for quantum key distribution and distributed quantum computing.
Fields Medalists warn AI-driven math proofs risk undermining research
Twenty-five Fields Medalists have issued a public warning that the push to use AI for solving major mathematical problems could disrupt the discipline's verification process and knowledge transfer.
Part 2 of 6