California Launches “Quantum California” Initiative

8 Nov 2025 – California is making a bid to become the epicenter of the quantum tech economy. In early November, Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled Quantum California, a new statewide initiative to align academia, industry, and government in accelerating quantum innovation. Announced at an event at UC Berkeley, the initiative comes with initial legislation (Assembly Bill 940) and $4 million in funding to kick-start the effort.

Quantum California has a broad mandate: to turn the state’s research strengths in quantum into companies, jobs, and economic leadership. California is already home to top quantum research centers (the state uniquely hosts both a National Science Foundation and a Department of Energy quantum center, at UCSB and Berkeley Lab respectively) and major corporate R&D labs like Google Quantum AI (in Santa Barbara), AWS’s Caltech center, and more. The initiative aims to leverage this by developing a comprehensive strategy – effectively a roadmap for growing California’s quantum ecosystem.

A key focus is workforce development and education, ensuring Californians are trained in quantum engineering, algorithms, and related skills to fill the high-paying jobs this sector will create. The plan also calls for investing in shared infrastructure: things like quantum testbeds, fabrication foundries, and prototyping facilities that startups and researchers can use. By building such hubs (similar to what the semiconductor industry did in Silicon Valley decades ago), California hopes to lower barriers for translating quantum ideas into products.

Assembly Bill 940, signed by Newsom, formally establishes the state’s commitment. It directs the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) to publish a strategic framework for expanding the “quantum economy” across California’s regions. The bill’s authors note that quantum technologies (spanning computing, sensing, and secure communications) are poised to revolutionize industries, and they want to ensure the Golden State leads that revolution. The initial $4 million (from the 2025-26 budget) will fund pilot programs, possibly new research centers or incubators, and convening of stakeholders.

Governor Newsom framed Quantum California as the next chapter in the state’s tech leadership. “California has always been the place where the future happens first – from semiconductors to the internet… With Quantum California, we’re ensuring the next revolution in technology starts here, too” he said. The initiative thus explicitly mirrors how California dominated past tech waves: through concentration of talent, capital, and an innovation-friendly climate. State officials noted that California already produces much of the nation’s quantum PhD talent and hosts many quantum startups – Quantum California will coordinate these assets, rather than letting them operate in silos.

The program also involves partnerships beyond state lines. At the launch, California renewed a partnership with Scotland (the SU2P program) to collaborate on quantum and photonics research, and it’s looking to forge ties with other global quantum hubs. By acting now, California aims to “cement its role as a global quantum innovation hub”, akin to its role in the birth of Silicon Valley. As Dee Dee Myers, GO-Biz director, put it: “Quantum California is about turning discovery into opportunity so our research powerhouses connect with entrepreneurs to drive innovation, investment, and job creation”. In short, expect California to market itself not just as the land of Apple and Google, but also the home of the quantum boom.