Meet Petra Andren – the woman tasked with spearheading Australia’s quantum industry

Microsoft, Amazon and Google are investing billions of dollars in quantum computing. So what chance does Australia have? A fighting one, tech veteran Petra Andren says.

Quantum Australia CEO Petra Andren says quantum computing isn’t just about the computer - it’s about the applications - and every sector is set to be transformed. Picture: Fiona Wolf

Microsoft, Amazon and Google are investing billions of dollars in a practical quantum system – an elusive technology that promises to revolutionise the world – and Petra Andren believes Australia can also play a key role.

Otherwise, Ms Andren says, she wouldn’t have taken the role of leading Quantum Australia – the group tasked with spearheading the development of a local quantum industry.

Ms Andren – whose previous roles include co-creating Andrew and Nicola Forrest’s Tenmile venture capital fund and helming tech incubator Cicada Innovation – is serious when she says Australia has a fighting chance in placing a stake in the global quantum industry.

This is despite the federal and Queensland governments investing $1bn in US company, PSIQuantum, to build Australia’s first Quantum Computer – a machine so powerful it will be able to discover new drugs, secure digital systems and encrypt data by orders of magnitude faster than today’s computers. Although the new Queensland LNP government is reviewing that investment.

Petra Andren, CEO of Quantum Australia, with Dr John Bartholomew – USYD quantum physicist. Picture: Fiona Wolf

But Ms Andren is quick to highlight that PSIQuantum was founded by Australian academics, built upon research developed in Queensland, before – like many of our top tech talent – moving abroad.

Ms Andren also says people need to stop thinking about Quantum as just a computer.

“Quantum is not just about computers, it’s not just about an emerging industry, it’s like an enabler – for lack of a better word – that underpins almost every sector from healthcare, logistics, material sciences, finance, defence, you name it,” Ms Andren said.

“So one of the real opportunities, in terms of education, is to really integrate quantum capabilities within existing industries as well, which we don’t talk about as much as accelerating innovation. We need industry to understand the potential.

The federal government granted the University of Sydney $18.4m in May last year to establish Quantum Australia – a group aimed at developing the technology’s capability in Australia.

There is no definitive timeline for quantum computing’s arrival, with experts saying that practical, powerful quantum computing is still years away.

Petra Andren, CEO Quantum Australia, With USYD quantum PhD candidate Gargi Tyagi. Picture: Fiona Wolf

But some of the world’s biggest tech companies are making breakthroughs. Last month, Microsoft, which has invested more than $US1bn in quantum, said it had created a new chip that leverages a new state of matter and that could underpin quantum computers.

It uses what’s called a topological superconductor – a type of material which can observe and control particles to produce more reliable and scalable qubits, which it says are the building blocks for quantum computers.

“We took a step back and said, ‘OK, let’s invent the transistor for the quantum age. What properties does it need to have?’” said Chetan Nayak, Microsoft technical fellow.

“And that’s really how we got here – it’s the particular combination, the quality and the important details in our new materials stack that have enabled a new kind of qubit and ultimately our entire architecture.”

Days later, Amazon Web Services announced its own quantum computing chip, dubbed Ocelot, which it said could lower the costs of reducing quantum computing errors by up to 90 per cent.

“With the recent advancements in quantum research, it is no longer a matter of if, but when practical, fault-tolerant quantum computers will be available for real-world applications. Ocelot is an important step on that journey,” said Oskar Painter, AWS director of quantum hardware.

Quantum Australia CEO Petra Andren.

Ms Andren says companies need to start preparing now for a quantum world, so they are ready to seize the opportunity when it arrives.

This includes drug discovery, with CSL and the Olivia Newton John Cancer Research Institute in Melbourne already harnessing AI to accelerate the development of the next blockbuster treatments.

“When you look at how you can really accurately model these molecular structures and interactions, bypassing all those classical sort of approximations that sort of slowed down the whole drug discovery, that’s just one application. So we shouldn’t get stuck on that.

“We are a catalyst for this and for a national ecosystem that goes beyond just research and translates those innovations into real world impact. And what does that look like? We don’t know yet. But we do have to strengthen those partnerships, those industry partnerships, to find those use cases and attract investments – and ensure we have the right talent pipeline.

“Every sector needs to really think about it. It’s not just about the computer – of course, the computer is important – but it’s about the applications of it, and where it is going to make a difference.”

Ms Andren will discuss more about the technology’s potential at Quantum Australia’s conference at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from March 25-27.