





PRIME MINISTER

THE HON. MALCOLM TURNBULL MP





TRANSCRIPT



22 April 2016

Opening of the Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology  University of New South Wales, Sydney



E&OE…

PRIME MINISTER:

It is so exciting to be here. You know, we are here surrounded by the future of computing. We are  here at the cutting edge of the new age in computing.

This is the next stage of the digital era and this is why the work that has been done here by Michelle  Simmons and her team is vital to the success of our innovation agenda. The National Innovation and  Science Agenda is all about supporting scientists, innovators like all of you here at the University of  New South Wales. You’re not just doing great work, Michelle, you’re doing the best work in the  world.

You’re not just solving the computing challenges in determining the direction of computing for  Australia, you are leading the world and it is a tribute to your leadership, your talent and may I say  your charisma in leadership that you’ve attracted so many outstanding scientists and engineers from  around the world. This is a very global team and it’s right here at the University of New South Wales  in Australia.

Now there is no bolder idea than quantum computing. This is a technology that revolutionises  computing. Now as we know, already, most of our lives, much of our lives have become effectively  digital. We live these devices have become part of us. They have the power, the smart phone in your  pocket has all of the processing power of a supercomputer in the 1990s.

But it is not enough. We need more, we have bigger problems that we need to solve more quickly  and conventional computing which as you know, it’s called digital processing, which depends on  transistors with a series of on and off switches. Ones and zeros if you like. That’s the digital world.  Extraordinarily fast but we are reaching a finite limit.

Quantum computing has the ability to revolutionise this. We launched our Cyber Security Strategy,  Christopher Pyne and I yesterday and of course, a big part of cyber security is protecting information  online and that is being done by encryption. Well quantum computing has the ability to create the

most unbreakable codes. It also has the ability to decipher the codes of today. Because it has that  extraordinary processing power. Now if I can just remind you of the significance of what we’re doing  here today, of government and business partnership.

$26 million from the Commonwealth, the Federal Government under our National Innovation and  Science Agenda. $10 million of investment from the Commonwealth Bank and from Telstra. Getting  behind this great national enterprise.

We were talking earlier with Andrea and Michelle about the great work that is being done here, here  at the Centre for Quantum Computing to use a silicon environment to render the phosphorus atom  which is the cubit, which is the particle that is being manipulated in a way that can, it can operate in  more than one state at once. This superpositioning of the cubit enables vastly more rapid processing  than we’ve had before.

But of course, this is a very dynamic environment. It isn’t a series of on/off switches. Power on,  power off. It is a very dynamic environment. How do you render its stable? How do you control it?  How do you stimulate it to do what you want and how do you ensure that it keeps, that it  remembers what it’s done for a long enough period to be practically useful?

Right here around us is the world’s leading research in that area. We looked at the memory time  earlier that’s been achieved here - a million times more than is being achieved in other labs around  the world.

The use of silicon, so stable, to provide that environment plus the super cold environment, enables a  quantum computer to be built here that will become more than a theory, become the reality - a  truly super computer. A quantum computer with a processing power hitherto unimagined and  certainly not realised.

This lab is up to ten years ahead of any other in the world. What a great thing for Australia! You  know we, we strive to be the best. But here we are so far ahead of the pack and it’s because of all of  you. Because all of you, we are so proud of the work you’re doing here Michelle and all your team.

You’re changing the world. You’re creating new world. The digital world, the new environment of  the 21st century.

Innovation and science will drive the jobs of the 21st century. The government is committed to that  innovation. It’s committed to backing the passion, the enthusiasm, the genius, the intellect, the  ability to dream and render those dreams into solid form, to render those dreams in a manner that  delivers us the jobs, the enterprise, the economic growth that all of us will depend upon as will our  children and grandchildren in the 21st century.

There has never been a more exciting time to be in quantum computing than right here, right here!  This is not just a great position to be in, this is truly a superposition!

Thank you very much we’re delighted to be here!

Ends

