Earlier this week, Philip Farah, VP of sales, industries and strategic relationships for IonQ and William Hurley (aka whurley), CEO and founder of Strangeworks, joined The Texas Tribune‘s Matthew Watkins in their new series, “Tech and the Texas Lege,” examining how Texas can leverage emerging technologies — like artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency and quantum computing — to prepare the state for the future economy. I had a chance to tune in and since I’ve been advocating that Texas should be a major hub for the quantum sector, let me share some thoughts both for Texas and in how you might appreciate the implications of some things Hurley, Farah, Watkins, and myself (unaffiliated and previously, here) have been laying out, so you might leverage this on behalf of your ecosystem.
Silicon had a good run. No, really, it has, past tense. It brought us the modern computing revolution, changed global commerce, and enabled the age of information. But every era ends. Just like steam yielded to electricity and horses gave way to the automobile, silicon is reaching its limit. While we’re building data centers and server farms faster than affordable housing, the next revolution isn’t in cramming more transistors onto a chip — it’s in rewriting the rules of computation itself. It’s time to move beyond silicon and put real investment, policy, and industry infrastructure behind quantum.
While my focus herein is on Texas (because of their talk and my previous assessment of developing a relevant economic zone in Texas), the inspiring implications of quantum, the necessity of direct investment and government support, and our collective work through industry association should serve as one of the playbooks for economic development as we exit the silicon era and enter the quantum age. The lessons we learn and the strategies we implement in Texas can be replicated and scaled to build a national and global framework for leadership in quantum computing.
The Case for Moving Beyond Silicon
We’re running out of room. Moore’s Law—the principle that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles about every two years—is grinding to a halt. We are approaching atomic-scale limitations in semiconductor technology. The problem? The world still has problems that demand exponential computational growth: climate modeling, drug discovery, secure communications, logistics, and artificial intelligence. Traditional computers can’t keep up. Quantum computing can.
Quantum isn’t just another faster, more efficient chip. It’s a fundamental shift in how we process information, leveraging the principles of superposition and entanglement to perform calculations in ways that classical computers never could. And that shift in how we process information is why it has so much of my attention; almost everything I explore for you is about how the fact that 90% of startups fail should be considered evidence that all you’re doing, all you’re advising, and how you’re going about developing your startup ecosystems, is wrong. Whether quantum, or your startup community, how founders pitch, or how venture capital operates, we’re not meaningfully progressing by following the same playbook over and over again.
The Quantum Corridor: A Launchpad, Not a Finish Line
As I argued in my earlier piece on The Quantum Corridor, Texas has all the ingredients for quantum leadership. We have powerhouse universities like UT, A&M, and SMU. We have a thriving tech scene in Austin, financial might in Dallas, and deep expertise in aerospace and defense in San Antonio. Companies like IonQ want to build quantum infrastructure here. The opportunity is real and appreciating what it takes to inspire innovation, foster entrepreneurship, and develop a sector of your economy, we must identify and align what already exists so that the risks to be undertaken are mitigated by existing players, focus and consistent direction, and collaboration in storytelling and industry.
These opportunities don’t last forever. Noted in their talk, Maryland and Illinois are already pouring billions into quantum research, infrastructure, and industrial parks. The quantum race is on, and Texas (just as most of the world) has yet to make a definitive move. Incrementalism isn’t going to cut it. We need a coordinated, aggressive approach.
Here’s the talk by the way, more below…
Direct Investment: The Fuel for Leadership
If Texas is serious about being a quantum leader, we need direct investment on par with the most ambitious states. We’re talking about billions, not a handful of grants. That means:
- Dedicated funding for quantum R&D at our major universities and national labs
- Incentives for quantum startups and commercial development
- A Texas Quantum Innovation Fund, similar to Maryland’s commitment to quantum industrial parks
Investment isn’t about throwing money at the problem. It’s about ensuring we attract the best talent, the most ambitious companies, and the infrastructure necessary to make Texas (my “Quantum Corridor”) synonymous with quantum technology.
“It’s not like the internet. When the internet came out, there were Tons of people that knew how networks worked and TCP IP was just this other, you know, like it wasn’t a big deal to say, let’s scale it up. Scaling quantum will be a big deal in the states and the nations. You see this again in the US China competition on this front. The states and the nations and, and the, they can put together the resources to pull that talent. If you’re a professor right now in quantum physics, you can get a job in China overnight. And they’re actively trying to recruit people from the U. S., from Europe, from other places. Pay them crazy salaries. There’s not a lot of resources. There’s not a lot of time, which means the only way you can do it is to build a well-funded program that is across the entire state, that has all of the attractors we need of the startups.” – William Hurley
Public Policy: The Missing Piece
Texas is known for being business-friendly, but in an emerging field like quantum, regulatory clarity and proactive policy matter just as much as tax incentives. We need a legislative framework that:
- Supports public-private quantum partnerships, connecting academia, government, and industry
- Provides workforce development programs at the community college level to train quantum-literate engineers, technicians, and researchers
- Incorporates quantum into the Texas K-12 curriculum, ensuring the next generation is prepared for a quantum future
Most importantly, Texas legislators must recognize that quantum isn’t just an academic experiment — it’s an economic and security issue. Countries like China are investing billions in quantum computing with an explicit focus on national security, cryptography, and economic dominance. Texas needs to treat this with the same urgency.
“If you think about what threatens us as a humanity, maybe extreme weather changes. Quantum can help model the weather in ways that we cannot today. Extreme epidemics. We can model epidemics in ways that we cannot and maybe find new drugs,” shared Philip Farah. “Even cyber security, a proven antidote that cannot be broken because of the laws of physics is quantum communications. Because if somebody eavesdrops, the communication will break, the entanglement will fold, and you will know and you will have to restart.”
A Trade Association: The Unifying Force
This isn’t just a job for universities and state lawmakers. If Texas wants to dominate quantum, it needs an industry-led, policy-influencing Quantum Trade Association to:
- Advocate for Texas as the premier quantum hub in the U.S.
- Lobby for state and federal support of quantum initiatives
- Standardize quantum education and workforce development to ensure businesses can find the talent they need
- Provide a forum for collaboration, bringing together startups, big tech, universities, and policymakers
Right now, quantum development is fragmented. A Texas Quantum Trade Association would ensure a coordinated effort, much like what SEMATECH did for semiconductors in the 1980s.
The Cost of Missing the Quantum Window
Think about this: If Texas had been slow on oil in the 1900s, would Houston be an energy capital today? If we hadn’t leaned into semiconductors, would Austin be the tech hub it is now? Every industry has its window of opportunity. Quantum is opening now, and it won’t wait for us to get our act together.
There are two futures ahead. One where Texas is the undisputed leader in quantum computing, attracting top talent, securing massive economic growth, and shaping the future of secure communications, AI, and scientific discovery. The other? Watching Maryland, Illinois, or California run away with it, or even mishandle the economic opportunities, while we play catch-up.
Here’s our playbook:
- Bold, direct investment in quantum infrastructure
- Legislation that prioritizes and protects quantum growth
- A trade association to unify and champion the industry
This isn’t just about Texas. The roadmap we should create in exploring and doing this can serve as a playbook for economic development in a post-silicon world. The next industrial revolution is upon us.
For more, here, The Texas Tribune’s Pavan Acharya covers their talk in more detail.
The rapid advancement of quantum computing is no longer a theoretical discussion — it’s a reality shaping the future of industries worldwide. Governments like the U.S. and China are investing heavily, knowing that quantum’s arrival at fault tolerance in the next two years will redefine cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and economic leadership. The debate over whether quantum computing is commercially viable is over; companies are already selling access to these machines, and businesses are paying to use them. The challenge now is not whether quantum is real, but whether states like Texas will act fast enough to be leaders in the space. Texas has the industry ecosystem, universities, and talent to take the lead, but without decisive investment and legislative action, it risks falling behind as other states pour billions into building quantum hubs.
To capitalize on this opportunity, Texas must integrate quantum computing into its economic development strategy with dedicated research funding, incentives for startups, and infrastructure for quantum networks. Quantum isn’t just another tech sector—it’s the foundation for the next industrial revolution. Ignoring this moment, or delaying investment, isn’t an option. The world is moving fast, and those who hesitate will find themselves on the outside looking in. Texas must take bold steps now, creating a comprehensive quantum ecosystem that spans education, industry partnerships, and legislative support. The choice is simple: lead in quantum computing, or risk becoming irrelevant in the industries of the future.
