U.S. Quantum Primacy Commission Outlines Industrial Strategy to Counter Global Supply-Chain Risks

The Commission on U.S. Quantum Primacy (CUSP), an advisory coalition convened by the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), has published its preliminary strategy report, Defining the American Quantum Era. Co-chaired by U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) alongside SCSP President Ylli Bajraktari, the report warns that while the United States maintains an advantage in fundamental research and operational cloud platforms, severe domestic disparities in cleanroom capital costs, cryogenic supply chains, and annual public funding threaten long-term commercial competitiveness.

The report defines quantum primacy as the enduring capability to discover, engineer, manufacture, and field quantum systems across national security and commercial markets. Drawing on data from 2021 through 2025, the commission highlights a growing industrial imbalance: while U.S. entities operated an estimated 39 to 73 deployed quantum computers in 2025 compared to China’s 15 to 18, China’s estimated public funding of $3 billion annually outpaces the U.S. federal commitment of approximately $1 billion. Furthermore, domestic fabrication faces acute economic pressure, with U.S. cleanroom construction costs averaging $800 to $1,000 per square foot compared to approximately $150 per square foot in China.