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A report commissioned by FloridaCommerce describes defense and practical deployment as central to Florida’s quantum technology opportunities. It identifies post-quantum cryptography, quantum sensing, resilient navigation and secure communications as near-term priorities, and proposes a five-year roadmap. The full findings are due to be presented at Quantum Beach on Oct. 22.
The Quantum Insider released a preview Sept. 30 of a state quantum technology assessment commissioned by FloridaCommerce, arguing that defense needs and practical deployment are central to Florida’s opportunity. The report identifies four near-term areas—post-quantum cryptography, quantum sensing, resilient navigation and secure communications—and proposes a five-year roadmap for building statewide capacity.
The report, titled Florida Quantum Ecosystem: A Strategic Assessment of Florida’s Quantum Technology Position and Opportunities, was prepared by The Quantum Insider in partnership with the Business Development Board of the Palm Beaches. FloridaCommerce commissioned the study. The full findings are scheduled to be presented at Quantum Beach 2026 on Oct. 22 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach. A preview is available through The Quantum Insider and the Business Development Board.
The assessment says Florida has 21 major military installations and three combatant commands: U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base, and U.S. Southern Command in Doral. It also points to research and computing resources including the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, the University of Florida’s HiPerGator supercomputer, CREOL at the University of Central Florida and the Florida LambdaRail research network.
To assess the defense market, the report reviewed 130 defense-relevant and quantum-secure programs across 25 countries. It says activity is moving from research toward procurement, and names four technologies as near-term priorities: post-quantum cryptography, quantum sensing, resilient navigation and secure communications. The report describes these technologies as having potential applications beyond defense, including at ports and in healthcare, finance and critical infrastructure.
Florida’s Test Sites and Defense Demand
The report’s central argument is that Florida could connect its military presence and research institutions with real-world settings for testing quantum technologies. Its $1.9 trillion economy, which the report describes as the fourth-largest in the United States, includes sectors such as defense, space, logistics, healthcare and finance. Those industries could provide operational environments for evaluating systems, though the report does not establish that the proposed applications are already deployed or producing results.
For readers, the distinction between research and procurement is consequential: the report presents near-term priorities as technologies that may meet existing security and infrastructure needs, rather than as a general promise of future quantum computing. It also says Florida’s opportunity depends on coordination. The assessment draws on 23 stakeholder interviews across research, government, defense, industry and investment, and reports broad alignment around existing strengths and sustained statewide coordination.
The five-year roadmap is indicative, not a record of committed funding or completed actions. It proposes first establishing an operating baseline, including a published state quantum strategy; then expanding translation capacity through funded pilots and testbed access; and finally scaling approaches that work. Whether the state adopts those steps, and what resources it assigns, will determine how much of the opportunity described becomes operational.
Recent Investments and Institutions
The report arrives amid developments it characterizes as a year of momentum for Florida’s quantum ecosystem. It says D-Wave relocated its headquarters to Boca Raton and that Florida Atlantic University committed to a $20 million D-Wave Advantage2 system. It also cites IonQ’s announced Superion 256 deployment at Florida International University, a quantum-secure corridor with Florida LambdaRail, and the acquisition of SkyWater Technology in NeoCity.
Other organizations the assessment identifies as ecosystem anchors include Palm Beach State College’s Quantum Innovation Center, the Florida Alliance for Quantum Technology and FloridaQuantum. It also describes Quantum Beach as an annual gathering for the state’s quantum community. These developments provide context for the report’s recommendations, but the preview does not give a detailed status or schedule for each project.
“This report gives the whole state a shared map of what we have, where the gaps are and what to do next.”
— Kelly Smallridge, president and CEO of the Business Development Board of the Palm Beaches
Funding, Pilots and Adoption
The preview does not specify which agencies or institutions would lead the proposed roadmap, how much it would cost, or whether funding has been committed for pilots and testbeds. It also does not provide detailed evidence that the technologies identified are ready for deployment across Florida’s named sectors. The report’s characterization of international programs and procurement activity is its assessment; the preview does not list all 130 programs or give individual procurement timelines.
Project timing and implementation details for several cited investments are also not provided in the available material. The full report may add detail, but until it is presented, the extent of statewide agreement, the state’s planned role and the measures for judging progress remain unclear.
Full Findings Due in October
The report’s authors are scheduled to present the full assessment at Quantum Beach 2026 on Oct. 22 in West Palm Beach. The presentation is the next stated milestone. It should provide a fuller account of the state’s assets, gaps and proposed roadmap; the available preview does not announce a state adoption date, pilot launch or funding decision.
Key Questions
Who commissioned the Florida quantum assessment?
FloridaCommerce commissioned the study. The Quantum Insider prepared it in partnership with the Business Development Board of the Palm Beaches.
What quantum technologies does the report prioritize?
The preview identifies post-quantum cryptography, quantum sensing, resilient navigation and secure communications as near-term priorities.
When will the full report be presented?
The full findings are scheduled for presentation at Quantum Beach on Oct. 22, 2026, at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach.
Does the roadmap include confirmed funding?
The preview proposes funded pilots and testbed access as part of a five-year roadmap, but it does not identify committed funding amounts or say that the roadmap has been adopted.
Source: rss
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