Quantum Advisory Council
Participants
Co-chairs
- Raymond Laflamme
- Stephanie Simmons
Members
- Alexandre Blais
- Ian D'Souza
- Andrew Fursman
- Shohini Ghose
- David Gosset
- Martin Laforest
- Lindsay Leblanc
- Atefeh Mashatan
- Christian Weedbrook
Guests
- Melanie Anderson, Director General, Canadian Centre for Cyber Security
- Nipun Vats, Assistant Deputy Minister, ISED
Welcome and housekeeping
The co-chairs welcomed members to the fourth meeting. Any proposed changes to the November meeting record of decision should be sent to the National Quantum Strategy (NQS) Secretariat. No conflicts of interest were identified.
Overview of the Communication Security Establishment's (CSE) role in government & cryptography, including key activities supporting the Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) transition
Melanie Anderson, from the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (the Cyber Centre) within the CSE described her organisation's role and mandate with respect to cybersecurity and cryptography. She provided a comparison of the U.S. and Canadian Government cybersecurity ecosystems relating to PQC, and a high-level overview of activities supporting the PQC transition, including advice being provided to Government of Canada departments, Critical Infrastructure as well as Canadians.
Council members were appreciative to learn of federal government action in the quantum security space. Discussion followed on how the council members could help and linkages to the NQS. Members were invited to contact the CSE directly to offer advice, expertise, and identify fora where members believe the Cyber Centre should have a presence. Discussion also centred on the timing of PQC security upgrades. On the one hand, awareness needs to be raised now across key industries (banking, transport, energy) to ensure appropriate PQC security upgrades are rolled out in a timely manner. On the other, early adoption of PQC in production systems before standards are finalized carries its own set of risks and is not recommended by the Cyber Centre.
Canada's Quantum Strategy at one year. Discussion on what's working and what could be improved
NQS Secretariat provided an overview of the rollout of programs funded through the NQS ($360M) and of related quantum programming not funded by the NQS, as well as updates on international engagements.
Council members were then invited to share their views on what has been going well during the first year, and what could be improved. Successes include programming in the academic-industry space and the quick rollout of NQS funding. Regarding gaps, many members noted that NQS funding is too fragmented and would rather like to see a smaller number of larger programs, including a moonshot program. Members also noted that there is a program gap for companies seeking exploratory R&D funding. Others mentioned that some program vehicles, including those in the academic-industry space, seem ill-equipped to match the needs of the quantum community. As a result, members felt that NQS industry support was insufficient and needs to be increased.
Discussion then focused on the possibility of launching a quantum moonshot within Canada. The co-chairs tasked members to think about moonshot ideas for discussion at the next meeting.
Next steps
The next meeting will be held virtually in late spring 2024. Potential agenda items include:
- quantum moonshot ideas
- immigration opportunities
- working with multinational corporations
- potential for policy/non-technical roadmaps.