Cisco quantum networking with Vijoy Pandey and Reza Nejabati
Vijoy Pandey, who leads Cisco’s Outshift incubation group, and Reza Nejabati, Cisco’s head of quantum research, are interviewed by Yuval Boger. They discuss Cisco’s strategy to enable distributed quantum computing and a future “quantum internet.” Vijoy and Reza explain why Cisco won’t build QPUs, focusing instead on room-temperature, telecom-band entanglement networking. They discuss Cisco's aim is to make networking a “no-brainer” and push modality complexity to the edge via transducers and even entanglement-mode conversion, the argument that scale-out plus scale-up will reach “million usable qubits” faster, and much more.
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29:41
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29:41
Bert de Jong, Director of the Quantum Systems Accelerator (QSA) at Berkeley Lab
Bert de Jong, Director of the Quantum Systems Accelerator (QSA) at Berkeley Lab, is interviewed by Yuval Boger. Bert describes how the center develops superconducting, trapped-ion, and neutral-atom technologies in parallel, and the importance of certification in verifying quantum computations. They discuss the roadmap for integrating quantum into HPC at NERSC, the cost and scaling challenges of large systems, and the Department of Energy’s focus on scientific—not cryptographic—applications. Bert also highlights creative approaches to error correction, opportunities for industry collaboration, the need for workforce training starting in high schools and community colleges, and why he believes quantum will deliver practical scientific impact within five years.
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29:06
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29:06
Sebastian Weidt, CEO and co-founder of Universal Quantum
Sebastian Weidt, CEO and co-founder of Universal Quantum, is interviewed by Yuval Boger. They discuss his company’s unique approach to building scalable trapped-ion quantum computers. Sebastian explains how Universal Quantum focuses on overcoming key scaling challenges—such as error-free modular connections, laser-free control, and integrated electronics—rather than rushing small systems to market. He contrasts their 70K cooling and qubit-shuttling architecture with other modalities, addresses trade-offs like gate speed, and shares why algorithmic execution speed can offset slower clock cycles. Sebastian and Yuval also talk about the company’s €70M DLR contracts, its emphasis on software alongside hardware, and Sebastian’s view that quantum utility will likely emerge north of 10,000 qubits. Reflecting on entrepreneurship, he shares lessons learned about market education, the company’s engineering-heavy team, and much more.
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23:57
Scott Buchholz, Global Quantum Computing Lead, Deloitte
Scott Buchholz, global leader for Deloitte Consulting's quantum computing efforts, is interviewed by Yuval Boger. Scott explains how Deloitte helps clients understand quantum technology and its potential applications, particularly in solving business problems. They discuss the timelines for quantum computing becoming commercially useful, referencing industry roadmaps. He emphasizes Deloitte's role in bridging the gap between technical jargon and business needs, helping clients navigate vendor selection, shares insights into the learning curve associated with quantum computing, highlights Deloitte's work in developing quantum-inspired machine learning solutions, and much more.
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16:56
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16:56
Tal David, Co-Founder and CEO, Quantum Art
Yuval Boger interviews Tal David, CEO and co-founder of Quantum Art, a quantum computing company based in Israel focused on full-stack quantum computing with trapped ions. They discuss Quantum Art's unique architecture, which emphasizes sophisticated multi-qubit gate operations, optical tweezers for segmenting ion chains, and dynamic reconfigurability for scaling up to millions of qubits. Tal highlights the company's roadmap, including launching a 50-qubit system by 2025 and a 1,000-qubit system by 2027, with a long-term goal of achieving a million-qubit system. Tal also addresses the challenges and advantages of their approach, particularly regarding error correction and speed, and mentions collaborations with companies like NVIDIA and BlueQubit, emphasizes the importance of focusing on scalable architectures, and much more.
Yuval Boger, Chief Commercial Officer at QuEra, hosts thought leaders in quantum computing, quantum sensing, and quantum communications to discuss business and technical aspects that impact the quantum ecosystem. Full transcripts are available at podcast.yboger.com
Netherlands