Joint Statement of the United States of America and the Netherlands on Cooperation in Quantum Information Science and Technology

The text of the following joint statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Netherlands.

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The United States of America and the Netherlands,

• Recognizing that science, technology, and innovation have enabled transformative capabilities across multiple sectors, from energy to health and communications to transportation, and that the foundation of this progress is the global research enterprise and its constant creation of new knowledge, understanding, and insights;

• Appreciating that quantum information science and technology (QIST) revolutionizes both our understanding of fundamental phenomena as well as the development of powerful computers, secure and rapid communication, and sensors with unprecedented precision, accuracy, and modalities;

• Understanding that the emergence of such robust technologies depends on an intensive effort to expand theoretical and practical understandings of QIST and to develop new tools for characterization, validation, and verification;

• Acknowledging that international partnerships are key to combine the expertise, ingenuity, and creativity of our countries to expand our fundamental understanding of QIST and thereby accelerate the realization of new technologies for the benefit of humanity; and

• Mindful of the terms of research and innovation programs in which both nations actively participate, and within which both advocate for international cooperation to be as open as possible.

The United States of America and the Netherlands intend to harness the spirit of science, technology, and innovation to pursue cooperation and the mutual respect it confers, and to promote QIST including but not limited to quantum computing, quantum networking, and quantum sensing, which underpins the development of society and industry.

We intend to advance this agenda by:

• Embarking on good-faith cooperation founded upon shared principles including openness, transparency, equity, fair competition, freedom of inquiry, protection and enforcement of intellectual property, and democratic values, thereby driving rigor and integrity in research.

• Committing to create inclusive scientific research communities and tackle cross-cutting issues of common interest such as equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, so that every person is able to fully participate and have an equal opportunity to succeed.

• Collaborating in venues such as workshops, seminars, and conferences to discuss and recognize the progress of research in QIST, which in turn will lead to the identification of overlapping interests and opportunities for future scientific cooperation.

• Promoting avenues to encourage a respectful research environment, facilitate multidisciplinary research, and share, on a voluntary basis and on mutually agreed terms, research methodologies, infrastructure, and data.

• Utilizing existing mechanisms for collaboration that create opportunities for academic institutions, industry consortia, major laboratories, and stakeholders in our global science and innovation community.

• Enabling opportunities to build a trusted global market and supply chain for QIST research and development, and supporting economic growth, by engaging stakeholders including industry consortia, research leaders, policy makers, and business security stakeholders to grow the future QIST marketplace.

• Supporting the development of the next generation of scientists and engineers necessary to expand the field, which could include personnel exchanges.

• Respecting the importance of our QIST ecosystems and taking into account that these communities will rely on close international connections and collaborations, since the solutions that need to be developed are at a scale where no single entity can develop all components for the broader ecosystem alone.

• Leveraging multilateral opportunities to promote policy dialogues and discuss QIST matters of international importance, including, but not limited to, building safe and inclusive research environments, and pursuing ways to address regulatory, standardization, and certification needs in areas where quantum technologies can potentially be applied, such as energy, health, and cybersecurity.

• Exploring other potential activities to be decided upon by participating countries.

We intend to promote cooperation in QIST as outlined in this vision for the mutual benefit of participating countries and continue to enhance scientific cooperation under our respective leaderships. This Joint Statement does not create any rights or obligations under international law.

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For more information, please visit:  https://www.quantum.gov/the-united-states-and-the-netherlands-sign-joint-statement-to-enhance-cooperation-on-quantum/