Researchers approach industry to test and evaluate quantum computing for applications like machine learning

WASHINGTON – U.S. military researchers are asking industry to investigate near-term military applications of quantum computing and hybrid combinations of quantum and non-quantum hardware to give U.S. forces an edge in future conflict.

Officials of the Pentagon's Washington Headquarters Services in Washington issued a special notice earlier this month (HQ0034249RFI01) earlier this month for the Quantum Solutions project to test and evaluate quantum and quantum-hybrid technologies for potential military use.

Specifically researchers are interested in quantum and quantum-hybrid technologies related to quantum machine learning; materials design; quantum chemistry simulation; simulation of physical systems; and solving optimization problems. Applications can be heuristic or algorithm based.

Related: Air Force asks industry to develop quantum computing software algorithms for next-gen command and control

Applications of interest include solving military computational problems expected from now to about five years from now. Solutions should be able to scale from small problems testable on existing, state-of-the art computer hardware to large testable in the next five years.

Companies interested should email 10-page responses no later than 26 Aug. 2024 to [email protected], with a copy to [email protected].

More information is online at https://sam.gov/opp/bb9c12e1a2c64671b02281c70893eca5/view.