The chief technologist of government-backed quantum computing start-up PsiQuantum says it is unbowed by a widely publicised breakthrough by rivals Microsoft, saying it is powering ahead with plans to build a data centre-sized quantum computer in Brisbane.

PsiQuantum landed almost $1 billion in loans and equity investment from the federal and Queensland governments last year for its ambitious plan to build the world’s first fault-tolerant quantum computer by the end of 2027. But Microsoft made global headlines this week with a breakthrough that could help it get there first.