ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Wes Moore today participated in a roundtable discussion focused on strengthening collaboration between Maryland and Japan in the growing quantum industry. Hosted in celebration of World Quantum Day, the roundtable featured a number of high-level Japanese government and quantum industry officials, in addition to Maryland’s own Dr. Jennifer King Rice, provost of the University of Maryland College Park, an institution that is at the center of Gov. Moore’s Capital of Quantum Initiative; Peter Chapman, executive chair of Prince-George's county-based IonQ Inc.; and Masashi Hirose, chief executive officer of NanoQT, Japan’s only quantum hardware company, which opened a new office in March at the University of Maryland’s Discovery District to strengthen its research and development capabilities and accelerate its commercialization efforts in the United States.
“The University of Maryland ranks among the world’s
top universities for quantum research. The Johns Hopkins Institute for Quantum Matter is focused on exploring quantum materials and their potential uses as energy sources. We’re the proud home of IonQ – the first pure-play quantum company in history to go public. And we’re the headquarters to the Mid-Atlantic Quantum Alliance, launched in January 2020 to accelerate quantum science and engineering,”
said Gov. Moore. “We have an unparalleled cybersecurity corridor, which includes Fort Meade, U.S. Cyber Command, and major defense companies. Maryland has had these assets for decades, we just needed the strategy to leverage them. And that’s what my administration has helped to deliver—our strategy is driven by a commitment to public-private partnerships that can support the development of quantum technology and harness the power of quantum discoveries.”
Following the roundtable, Gov. Moore attended the signing of a memorandum of understanding between IonQ and the Global Research and Development Center for Business by Quantum-AI technology, the quantum arm of Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. The agreement establishes a long-term collaboration aimed at advancing trapped ion quantum computing technologies in Japan, which IonQ is a global leader in developing.
“We have said that investing in quantum computing and networking is investing in Maryland's future,”
said IonQ Executive Chair Peter Chapman. “We are honored to join Governor Moore on this historic visit to Japan and grateful for his support for IonQ's cutting-edge research and innovation development.”
Maryland’s Capital of Quantum Initiative is a public-private partnership with an aspirational goal of catalyzing $1 billion in investments and solidifying the state’s leadership as one of the world’s top quantum epicenters, with the University of Maryland as key anchor. The FY 2026 budget that the General Assembly passed last week includes $47.5 million in support for the initiative, which includes $10 million for IonQ’s planned expansion in the state. In addition, through executive order, Gov. Moore identified quantum computing, along with life sciences and aerospace, as a “lighthouse” sector in which the state plans to commit additional resources to ensure the industries reach their full potential in Maryland.
“Governor Moore’s bold vision, paired with the world-class expertise and growing resources at the University of Maryland, makes this a truly transformative moment—not only for the state of Maryland, but for the entire field of quantum science and innovation,”
said University of Maryland Provost and Senior Vice President Jennifer King Rice. “We’re excited to expand our network of partners and collaborators as we help shape the future together.”
Earlier today, Gov. Moore also engaged with dozens of Japanese companies at an investment seminar aimed at expanding trade and investment opportunities between Maryland and Japan. The seminar was hosted by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), which serves as the country’s primary agency to promote international trade and foreign direct investment, in addition to connecting businesses in Japan and the United States.
“It was our honor to welcome Governor Moore and the Maryland delegates to our headquarters and to host a business seminar. Based on our survey, the U.S. has been selected as the most important market for investment among Japanese companies these past several years,”
said JETRO Chair Norihiko Ishiguro. “As Governor Moore stated during his keynote speech, the State of Maryland leads in the fields of life science, quantum computing, and aerospace—and moreover holds the talent to develop these future technologies, which is a true value to attract further investment from Japanese companies. This business seminar was a perfect time to have Japanese companies explore their future possibilities in the great State of Maryland. JETRO will continue to be a bridge between the State of Maryland and Japan for future prosperity.”
Following the seminar, Gov. Moore met with executives of Terumo Group, the largest Asian-headquartered company in Maryland by employment, with nearly 1,200 employees across its two facilities in Cecil County, where its presence dates to 1972. A Japanese medical device giant, the corporation produces surgical tools as well as cardio-pulmonary bypass pumps and other technologies in the state.
Gov. Moore also met with executives of Hitachi Ltd., Inc., to include Hitachi’s chair and chief executive officer Toshiaki Higashihara. The company, through its subsidiary Hitachi Rail, is investing more than $70 million in a new railcar manufacturing operation in Hagerstown as part of a major U.S. expansion. The facility is nearing completion and, when fully operational, will create up to 460 new full-time jobs and help sustain 1,300 jobs in the region.
The day concluded with a welcome reception for the Maryland delegation at the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence hosted by Chargé D’ Affaires and Acting U.S. Ambassador to Japan Joseph M. Young. The governor delivered brief remarks about the advantages to doing business in Maryland in front of more than 100 guests, many of whom were Japanese business leaders in life sciences, quantum computing and aerospace.