Brian Gaucher, co-chair of ERVA’s report on Engineering Research to Advance Quantum Technologies

Yuval Boger interviews Brian Gaucher, an experienced engineer and IBM veteran who co-chaired ERVA’s report Engineering Research to Advance Quantum Technologies. Brian explains that while U.S. quantum science remains strong, global competition is accelerating and the key limiter is no longer physics discovery but engineering the path from “lab to fab”—scalable, manufacturable, reliable systems. They discuss why the U.S. should pursue a coordinated, semiconductor-like national strategy with shared pilot lines, standards, metrology, public-private investment, and a broader workforce—not just physicists. They also cover the report’s four pillars (materials, biology, computing, AI), the importance of domestic fabrication, and why biology and quantum sensing may deliver surprisingly near-term impact.