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The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) is helping domestic quantum companies enter the local ecosystem in the United States.
KRISS announced on the 3rd that it signed a letter of intent (LOI) on quantum technology cooperation with the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) at the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square in Seoul on the 2nd. By connecting the domestic quantum company network KRISS has built with the local support system in the U.S., the institute will establish a bridgehead to help these companies enter the American market.
The two organizations discussed ways for domestic quantum-related companies to cooperate with the Fairfax local ecosystem on that day. Nine officials, including KRISS President Lee Ho-sung and FCEDA President Victor Hoskins, attended and shared information on the "Quantum Computing Quantum Transformation (QX) project" led by KRISS and its participating companies, the development status of superconducting quantum computing systems, and Fairfax County's industrial ecosystem and corporate support functions.
FCEDA, which oversees economic development in Fairfax County—a business hub for advanced industries such as quantum, artificial intelligence (AI), defense, aerospace, and life sciences in Northern Virginia, U.S.—is an optimal partner that professionally provides foreign companies with regional information, institution-company matching, and investment-attraction networks.
The two organizations plan to pursue practical follow-up measures such as operating working groups, exchanging delegations, and holding business meetings. Using this visit to Korea as an opportunity, FCEDA plans to continue expanding long-term partnerships and investment opportunities between Korean companies and Northern Virginia.
Taking this LOI as an opportunity, KRISS plans to link the U.S. expansion demand of domestic quantum companies with FCEDA's support system.
The cooperation channel established this time will begin full operation with the "U.S. Quantum Cluster Entry Program," scheduled for October. Together with the Innopolis Venture Association, KRISS plans to support four domestic quantum and quantum transformation (QX) companies in entering the U.S. DMV (Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia) region. Domestic quantum companies participating in the program will be supported in technology exchanges with key U.S. quantum companies and institutions and in participating in local investor presentations, allowing them to concretely gauge the possibility of entering the American market.
KRISS oversees the "Quantum Computing Quantum Transformation (QX) Scale-up Valley Development Project," which is being pursued for three years and six months from 2024 with a total project budget of 15.8 billion won provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT and Daejeon City, and is leading efforts to build a quantum industry ecosystem centered on Daejeon.
Through this project, KRISS formed the "Quantum Transformation Industry Council (QTI-C)," in which more than 80 companies and related institutions participate, firmly establishing a cooperation network spanning industry, academia, research, government, and finance, thereby laying the foundation to identify domestic quantum companies' demand for technology commercialization and overseas expansion.
KRISS President Lee Ho-sung said, "We will take the lead in serving as a bridge so that the domestic quantum industry base KRISS has built can be connected to local infrastructure in the U.S."
