NIST expands SRI partnership to launch quantum manufacturing center

The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology has expanded its collaboration with SRI to stand up a new Quantum Manufacturing Engineering Center aimed at scaling quantum components and systems for production. The effort is designed to strengthen supply chains, set manufacturing standards and help move quantum technologies from the lab into commercial use.

Why it matters: - The Quantum Manufacturing Engineering Center is intended to help the U.S. quantum industry move from research to scalable production. - The center is aimed at boosting U.S. leadership in quantum manufacturing, a field seen as critical to the next generation of sensors, computers and other advanced systems. - The work is meant to improve manufacturing readiness, supply-chain resilience and commercialization for quantum technologies.

What happened: - The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology expanded its collaboration with SRI to create the Quantum Manufacturing Engineering Center. - SRI will establish and run the center. - NIST Director and Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology Arvind Raman said the partnership will accelerate development of America’s quantum industrial base. - The announcement was made June 29, 2026, in Menlo Park, California.

The details: - The center will recruit quantum experts and companies to work on research and development for manufacturing and supply-chain strengthening. - Initial focus areas include cryostats and lasers, which are critical enablers of quantum sensors and computers. - An early goal is to improve the manufacturability of quantum-enabling components within three years. - The center’s objectives include scalable processes for quantum chips and integrated photonic circuits. - The center also aims to establish standards and quality-control methods for quantum technologies. - Another goal is to create a U.S.-based supply chain for the materials and components used in quantum systems. - The program will build expertise through quantum-focused programs and recruit existing quantum companies that are building scalable manufacturing capabilities. - SRI said the center will use clear goals, milestones and measurable outcomes tied to discussions with quantum technology companies, value-chain partners and end users. - SRI said the effort is focused on delivering critical quantum components that can be manufactured at scale in volume, performance, quality and cost. - SRI has spent more than 20 years developing precision quantum sensors, including chip-scale clocks and cold-atom–based sensor systems. - SRI’s experience also includes the integration work needed to move sensors out of the lab and into real-world use. - SRI manages the NIST-funded Quantum Economic Development Consortium, established in 2019, which it says is the leading voice for the quantum industry in coordinating research priorities and accelerating technology adoption. - SRI is an independent nonprofit R&D institute with an 80-year history and offices across the United States and in Japan.

Between the lines: - The partnership signals a push to treat quantum manufacturing as an industrial capability, not just a research effort. - The emphasis on standards, supply chains and manufacturability suggests the main barrier is no longer only scientific progress, but the ability to produce reliable hardware at scale. - SRI’s role builds on its position in the broader quantum ecosystem through QED-C, which gives the center existing industry connections.

What's next: - QMEC will begin recruiting experts, companies and partners for project work. - The center will move ahead on development of scalable quantum manufacturing processes and supply-chain capabilities. - Progress will be measured against defined milestones, with a three-year target for improving component manufacturability. - SRI and NIST are expected to use the center to help accelerate commercialization of quantum technologies.