TORONTO and COLUMBIA, South Carolina, April 16, 2024 - Xanadu, a world leader in photonic quantum computing, and South Carolina Quantum (SC Quantum), a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing academia, industry, and entrepreneurs together to build a sustainable quantum ecosystem, have formed a partnership to develop practical, hands-on educational materials and grow a quantum-smart workforce in South Carolina.

Xanadu is on a mission to make quantum computers useful and available to people everywhere. In 2022, Xanadu made the strategic decision to partner with academic institutions and organizations focused on quantum education to help build a global quantum computing workforce. As part of its long-term vision to support quantum education and research in the US, Xanadu expanded its operations by opening a dedicated US entity in March of 2024.

SC Quantum's goal is to accelerate the future of a quantum ecosystem through developing relevant quantum education across all levels of education to inspire a professional quantum-smart workforce, creating an environment for innovation and opportunity for entrepreneurs, and engaging with industry and tech to bring real world, complex problems for research opportunities to challenge students critical thinking and provide access to quantum technology.

"The quantum field is growing rapidly and the next generation must be highly skilled in a range of tools and approaches. We're excited to partner with SC Quantum to accelerate quantum education and research in the State of South Carolina and across the United States," said Xanadu Founder and CEO, Christian Weedbrook.

PennyLane, Xanadu's open-source software framework, will be a pillar of this partnership. With support from the team at Xanadu, researchers in the SC Quantum network will utilize PennyLane to design and develop next-generation quantum algorithms and to test them on simulators and Xanadu's photonic quantum hardware. Xanadu's technology will also be used as a foundation for developing hands-on educational experiences to be integrated into SC Quantum's growing university network.

"Our mission is to champion the advancement of quantum talent and technology in South Carolina. To succeed in this mission, we need to partner with world-renowned quantum companies with cutting-edge technologies, making Xanadu an obvious choice for one of our first partnerships. We look forward to the research and training that our network will benefit from," said Joe Queenan, Executive Director, South Carolina Quantum.