January 15, 2026
Quantum Computing’s Industrial Challenge
This article was originally published in Just Security.
The United States, China, and Europe are preparing to refresh their national quantum programs in 2026, making this a pivotal year for quantum policy. As quantum sensors and computers move toward real-world utility and nations compete to secure their economic and security advantages, they are converging on a defining challenge: whether their industrial bases and supply chains are ready to support scale.
The United States and Europe must take care not to turn their drive for self-reliance into costly fragmentation.
Despite boasting a world-leading ecosystem of universities and startups, thin and globally dispersed supply chains increasingly constrain U.S. quantum progress. The United States relies heavily on foreign (including Chinese) or fragile single-supplier markets for critical inputs, from precision lasers and cryogenics to photonic materials and advanced microfabrication. Yet less than twelve percent of federal quantum funding supports domestic enabling technologies and manufacturing capacity. Congressional bills and rumored upcoming executive orders signal awareness of some of these gaps, but concrete outcomes remain uncertain, especially as quantum continues to compete for attention with higher-profile policy priorities such as AI and conventional semiconductor manufacturing.
Read the full article on Just Security.
More from CNAS
-
CNAS Insights
Technology & National Security
CNAS Insights | Washington Can’t Afford to Ignore AI’s Warning ShotOn July 21, OpenAI disclosed the first publicly known incident of AI models escaping their isolated testing environment, gaining unauthorized internet access and hacking into ...
By Ruby Scanlon & Janet Egan
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
Can China Keep Its AI Open?This article was originally published in The Wire China. On July 16, Chinese lab Moonshot AI released Kimi K3, a 2.8 trillion parameter open-weight model that within a day ha...
By Ruby Scanlon
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
The Modern Mythology of AILLMs can’t replace people, and AI can’t replicate actual thought. But if employers reject these truths and succumb to empty promises and motivated thinking, employees will suf...
By Peter L. Levin
-
Video
Technology & National Security
Did the U.S. Just Lose Its AI Advantage to China?For years, the United States has tried to slow China's technological rise by restricting access to advanced chips and semiconductor technology. But new trade figures suggest C...
By Daniel Remler
