YORKTOWN HEIGHTS- Congressman Mike Lawler (R, NY-17) and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick visited IBM’s Thomas Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights Thursday to tour the facility and learn more about the company’s work in quantum computing, semiconductor research and other emerging technologies.
Lawler, who represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, joined Lutnick, IBM Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna and IBM Research Director Jay Gambetta for discussions about U.S. technological competitiveness, domestic manufacturing and the development of quantum computing.
The group toured IBM’s quantum research facilities and received demonstrations of the company’s quantum systems. Discussions also focused on potential applications for the technology, including cybersecurity, health care, advanced manufacturing, scientific research, artificial intelligence, and national defense.
The Yorktown research center is one of IBM’s major research facilities and has long been a significant part of the company’s technology development efforts. Lawler said the work being done there demonstrates the importance of continued investment in research and a skilled technology workforce.
“I’m grateful Secretary Lutnick took the time to visit Yorktown Heights and see firsthand how public-private partnerships are driving breakthroughs in quantum computing, strengthening our national security, creating high-paying American jobs, and keeping the technologies of the future here in the United States,” Lawler said.
He called quantum computing “one of the most significant technological advancements of our generation” and said continued support for research, workforce development and manufacturing will be important to maintaining U.S. competitiveness.
Krishna said IBM welcomed the opportunity to discuss the technology’s potential with the two officials.
“Their commitment to advancing U.S. leadership in quantum is vital as the technology moves from scientific promise to practical reality,” Krishna said.
IBM has been developing quantum-computing systems and the infrastructure surrounding them as the technology moves toward broader commercial applications. The company says its long-term goal is to develop a large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer.
The visit comes as government and technology companies increasingly focus on quantum computing as a potential area of economic and national-security competition. Unlike conventional computers, quantum computers use quantum-mechanical effects to perform certain types of calculations that could eventually address problems beyond the practical reach of today’s machines.
For Yorktown Heights, the visit also highlighted the role of IBM’s local research operation in that national effort.
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