White House Science Advisor, OSTP Director Michael Kratsios Welcomes Attendees to QWC
In a video address to attendees of the 2025 Quantum World Congress, Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), laid out a bold agenda for accelerating U.S. leadership in quantum technologies.
Speaking remotely, Kratsios welcomed delegates to “the quantum ecosystem’s most exciting annual summit,” noting the extraordinary mix of scientists, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and global partners gathered in Tysons, Virginia. He described QWC as a unique forum where breakthroughs move from the lab bench to boardrooms, international partnerships take shape, and the direction of the field is debated at a global scale.
Kratsios emphasized that quantum R&D is not simply a scientific endeavor, but a national security imperative—an area where U.S. leadership must be unquestioned. Reflecting on America’s past efforts, including the 2018 National Quantum Initiative (NQI), he acknowledged both the successes of earlier investments and the risks posed when U.S. leadership slowed while rivals abroad accelerated their programs.
Kratsios outlined five major priorities for the current administration:
Growing the domestic quantum workforce while attracting global talent.
Moving quantum technologies from the laboratory to commercialization while sustaining foundational research.
Strengthening the supply chain and enabling technologies such as lasers, materials, and fabrication systems.
Deepening international collaboration with allies.
Protecting sensitive research and intellectual property from adversaries while empowering open innovation.
A Global Context: The UK-US Technology Prosperity Deal
Kratsios’s emphasis on international partnerships was underscored by today’s Technology Prosperity Deal signed in the UK by President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. The agreement establishes a framework for U.S.-UK cooperation across quantum, AI, and civil nuclear energy, backed by £31 billion in private investment from leading technology companies.
The deal includes the creation of a bilateral quantum task force to align research priorities, coordinate standards, and accelerate commercialization across both ecosystems. It also expands collaboration in AI for healthcare, civil nuclear energy, and regulatory alignment—demonstrating how quantum fits into a broader vision of technological leadership among allies.
Significance
Together, Kratsios’s message and the UK-US pact signal a decisive moment. The United States is renewing its commitment to quantum leadership not only through policy and funding but also through deepened collaboration with international partners.
For industry, academia, and government leaders assembled at Quantum World Congress, this convergence is more than symbolic. It represents a tangible alignment of national strategy, private innovation, and global partnership—an alignment that can accelerate the translation of decades of research into commercial products, new industries, and strengthened security.
As Kratsios reminded attendees, the momentum in quantum is breathtaking, and the stakes are high. By coupling national priorities with international cooperation, gatherings like Quantum World Congress become the stage where the next era of quantum innovation is not just imagined, but actively built.