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A report commissioned by FloridaCommerce describes defense and practical deployment as central to Florida’s quantum technology opportunity. It identifies four near-term priorities and proposes a five-year roadmap, with the full findings scheduled for presentation on October 22.
The Quantum Insider released a preview of a Florida quantum technology assessment commissioned by FloridaCommerce on September 30, describing defense and practical deployment as central to the state’s opportunity. The report identifies near-term priorities including post-quantum cryptography, quantum sensing, resilient navigation and secure communications, and proposes a five-year roadmap to connect Florida’s research, military and industrial assets.
The study, titled Florida Quantum Ecosystem: A Strategic Assessment of Florida’s Quantum Technology Position and Opportunities, was prepared by The Quantum Insider with the Business Development Board of the Palm Beaches. FloridaCommerce commissioned it. A preview is available through The Quantum Insider and the business development board; the full findings are due to be presented at Quantum Beach 2026 on October 22 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach.
The assessment draws on a review of 130 defense-relevant and quantum-secure programs across 25 countries, as well as 23 interviews with stakeholders in research, government, defense, industry and investment. It says activity in quantum defense is moving from research toward procurement. The four areas it identifies as near-term priorities are post-quantum cryptography, quantum sensing, resilient navigation and secure communications.
The report points to Florida’s military presence and research infrastructure as potential advantages. It cites 21 major military installations and three combatant commands, alongside 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. It proposes first establishing an operating baseline, including a published statewide strategy, then funding pilots and providing testbed access before scaling approaches that work.
Florida’s Push From Research to Pilots
The report frames the opportunity around testing and deploying technologies, rather than research alone. That approach could matter to Florida’s defense and commercial sectors because the assessment identifies possible applications in ports, healthcare, finance and critical infrastructure, as well as national security. These are opportunities described by the report, not evidence that the technologies are already in use across those systems.
Florida’s $1.9 trillion economy, which the report describes as the nation’s fourth-largest, could offer varied settings for trials in defense, space, logistics, healthcare and finance. The report argues that the state is positioned to compete if it coordinates its existing assets. Its proposed sequence—strategy, funded pilots and testbed access, then expansion—would give agencies and potential partners a way to move from broad interest toward specific projects.
The plan’s practical effect will depend on decisions about funding, participating organizations and measurable goals. The preview sets out a direction, but does not establish that the proposed pilots have been funded or that a statewide strategy has been adopted.
Florida’s Quantum Activity This Year
The assessment arrives after a year of developments the report describes as momentum for the state’s quantum ecosystem. It says D-Wave moved its headquarters to Boca Raton and Florida Atlantic University committed to a $20 million D-Wave Advantage2 system. IonQ announced a planned Superion 256 deployment at Florida International University and a quantum-secure corridor with Florida LambdaRail. The report also cites the acquisition of SkyWater Technology in NeoCity.
Other ecosystem efforts named in the report include Palm Beach State College’s Quantum Innovation Center, the Florida Alliance for Quantum Technology and FloridaQuantum. It describes Quantum Beach as an annual gathering for the state’s quantum community. These examples provide context for the assessment’s emphasis on building connections across research, workforce development, companies and potential users.
The report says Florida has broad stakeholder alignment around building on existing strengths and sustaining statewide coordination. Its preview presents the five-year roadmap as indicative, leaving details of implementation for further discussion.
““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 and Delivery Remain Open
The preview does not specify which pilots will receive funding, how much money will be committed, or which agencies and companies would run them. It also does not set out detailed milestones, performance measures or a confirmed schedule for publishing a statewide quantum strategy. The proposed roadmap is described as indicative.
The assessment presents Florida as well placed to compete, but that is its conclusion, not a guarantee of investment or successful deployment. The preview does not provide project-level evidence that the listed technologies have been tested or adopted across the state’s defense, port, healthcare, financial or infrastructure systems. The full report may provide further detail when it is presented.
Full Findings Due in October
The full assessment is scheduled for presentation at Quantum Beach 2026 on October 22 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach. That presentation is the next public milestone identified in the release. The report’s proposed next steps are to establish a baseline and statewide strategy, support funded pilots and testbed access, and expand the approaches that prove useful.
Whether those steps lead to funded projects, a published state strategy or formal commitments from participating organizations remains to be seen. The release does not provide a timetable beyond its indicative five-year roadmap.
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?
It names post-quantum cryptography, quantum sensing, resilient navigation and secure communications as near-term priorities.
When will the full findings be presented?
The full report is scheduled for presentation at Quantum Beach 2026 on October 22 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach.
Does the preview confirm that Florida’s proposed pilots are funded?
No. It proposes funded pilots and testbed access as part of a five-year roadmap, but the release does not identify funded projects, funding amounts or delivery partners.
Source: rss
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