Quantum Experts To Speak At Inaugural SPIE Quantum Catalyst Event

Registration is now open for the two-day gathering of leaders working on quantum 2.0 applications taking place 12-13 November in the heart of Colorado’s burgeoning quantum industry

On 12-13 November, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, will host the quantum industry at the inaugural SPIE Quantum Catalyst conference. Set in the heart of the quantum-industry ecosystem in Boulder, Colorado, the event will focus on the commercial opportunities made possible by quantum technologies. In particular, leaders in the field will discuss the critical challenges of building a robust supply chain for positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), a key real-world application poised to benefit from the commercialization of quantum technologies.

SPIE Quantum Catalyst sessions will incorporate presentations, panel discussions, and dedicated networking time. Topics that will be explored include the state of the supply chain and end-user needs for optical clocks and positioning and navigation sensors; a review of the venture-capital viewpoint on quantum technologies; in-depth analyses of quantum ecosystem development and workforce programs; and a closing panel of experts debating the current reality of readiness of quantum technologies for the marketplace.   

The two-day event will also feature a high-level roster of speakers: 

• Andrew Attar, Vescent Director of Product Development  
• Martin Boyd, Vector Atomic Co-founder and Chief Engineer  
• Constanza M. Vidal Bustamante, Center for New American Security, Quantum Technology & National Security Fellow 
• Calvin Cahall, Infleqtion Product Development Manager  
• Dan Caruso, Caruso Ventures Managing Director  
• David Chandler, Microchip Technology Senior Product Line Manager  
• Tim Day, DRS Daylight Solutions Senior Vice President and General Manager  
• Col. Nicholas Estep, Defense Innovation Unit Director, Emerging Technology Portfolio  
• Russ Fein, Vescent CFO  
• Dmitry Green, Quantum Coast Capital Chief Science Officer and General Partner  
• Steffan Gwyn, UK Hub for Quantum Enabled Position, Navigation, and Timing Business Development Manager  
• Janel Highfill, Front Range Community College Associate Vice President, Workforce Development & Strategic Partnerships 
• Megan Ivory, Sandia National Laboratories Principal Member of the Technical Staff  
• Jaime Jaramillo, Safran Director of Business Development and New Space  
• Mike Larsen, Northrop Grumman Quantum Science Architect  
• Gwen Leifer, Lockheed Martin Senior Quantum Systems Engineer and Quantum Workforce Development Lead 
• Leon Lobo, National Physical Laboratory Head of the National Timing Centre  
• Anjul Loiacono, Elevate Quantum Chief Commercial Officer  
• Anke Lohmann, Anchored In Chair and Founder  
• David Mandell, Massive Co-founder and Managing Director  
• Bonnie Marlow, MITRE Principal Physicist and Quantum Sensors Group Leader 
• Cody Moore, Caruso Venture Vice President 
• Jessi Olsen, Elevate Quantum COO/CFO  
• Miles Padgett, University of Glasgow Royal Society Research Professor and Kelvin Chair of Natural Philosophy  
• Jeff Sherman, National Institute of Standards and Technology Supervisory Physicist  
• Laura Smoliar, Quantum Denmark CEO 
• Kirsten Suddath, Next Frontier Capital General Partner  
• Araceli Venegas-Gomez, QURECA CEO and Founder 
• Kate Waimey Timmerman, Chicago Quantum Exchange CEO  
• Jessica Wade, Imperial College London Royal Society University Research Fellow and Lecturer in Functional Materials  
• Carl Williams, CJW Quantum Consulting CEO  
• Jason Yager, Montana Photonics and Quantum Alliance Executive Director  
• Mark Wippich, MPW CEO  

“SPIE is excited to launch this unique industry-focused annual event exploring the challenges of bringing an emerging technology to the commercial marketplace,” said SPIE Senior Director of Science, Technology, and Industry Programs Bob Hainsey. “The Quantum Catalyst will provide attendees with insight not only into the opportunities for this technology in applications such as PNT, but also into the challenges remaining to build a robust ecosystem enabling quantum technology to effectively compete with existing solutions. Collaborators building the quantum marketplace will be in Boulder this November, and we invite anyone interested in participating in this exciting venture to register now and join us there.” 

The event is sponsored by TOPTICA Photonics, Vescent Technologies, Inc., Frequency Electronics Inc., and DRS Daylight Solutions, with support from the University of Colorado at Boulder’s Cubit Quantum Initiative, Colorado Photonics Industry Association, and Elevate Quantum. 

To find out more and to register for the event, please visit the SPIE Quantum Catalyst website.

About SPIE

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, brings engineers, scientists, students, and business professionals together to advance light-based science and technology. The Society, founded in 1955, connects and engages with our global constituency through industry-leading conferences and exhibitions; publications of conference proceedings, books, and journals in the SPIE Digital Library; and career-building opportunities. Over the past five years, we have invested more than $25 million in the international optics community through our advocacy and support, including scholarships, educational resources, travel grants, endowed gifts, and public-policy development. www.spie.org.