Quantum Builders
From Lab to Policy to Deployment: Gretchen Campbell on What It Takes to Scale Quantum
A fireside chat with:
Gretchen Campbell
Quantum computing is often framed as a technical challenge. More stable qubits, better coherence, improved error correction.
But as the field moves forward, a different set of constraints becomes more visible. Science is advancing, but the surrounding systems that support it are not always moving at the same pace.
Gretchen Campbell has worked across each of those layers. She began in experimental atomic physics, later helped coordinate U.S. quantum policy at the White House, and now works at the University of Maryland on building a regional quantum initiative.
Her perspective is grounded in that range of experience. Progress in quantum does not depend on a single breakthrough. It depends on how well research, policy, and workforce development align as the field scales.
Campbell did not start her career with quantum in mind.
“I always wanted to be a veterinarian.”
That direction changed late in high school after taking an anatomy class. She shifted into physics without a clear plan for where it would lead.
“I didn’t know a lot about it, but took physics and was really lucky that I had a faculty member… who helped to pull me aside and say, hey, you’re actually pretty good at this.”
That moment shaped the trajectory of her career, but it also reflects how many people enter the field. Exposure and mentorship still play a central role in building the talent pipeline.
Campbell’s early work focused on Bose-Einstein condensates and atomic systems. At the time, the work was primarily fundamental.
“I’m a scientist, and I want to push physics and learn more about physics and understand the world.”
That motivation remains, but the context around quantum research has shifted.
“I do think… one always has to be thinking down the road, what are the broader impacts and what is the potential of this research.”
Quantum is no longer isolated within academic research. Expectations for application, funding, and deployment are developing alongside the science itself.
At the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Campbell worked on implementing the National Quantum Initiative across agencies and institutions.
Coordination at that level requires more than funding. It requires alignment among organizations with different priorities and timelines.
“It’s incredibly important… to have people who understand… the field to also be the ones helping to implement policy.”
Without that technical understanding, policy decisions can drift away from the realities of how quantum systems are built and deployed.
She also highlights a point that is often overlooked.
“At the top, everybody really was trying to figure out how to fund things in the most responsible way.”
The challenge is not a lack of commitment. It is the complexity of aligning multiple agencies and programs that were not originally designed to move together.
Quantum is receiving attention earlier than most technologies historically have.
“I think… we are paying attention to quantum much earlier in its development than governments typically would.”
That early attention brings both opportunity and risk.
“There’s a danger to hype… there’s a danger to overpromising and timelines such that if people don’t see things… that’ll have repercussions that hurt all of us.”
This is especially visible in quantum computing, where progress is real but timelines and applications are still being defined.
At the University of Maryland, Campbell is now focused on building a regional quantum ecosystem.
The region has a structural advantage.
“We’re very close to DC… embedded amongst many of the federal agencies that are putting a lot of money in quantum.”
That proximity brings funding, research institutions, and infrastructure into the same area. The challenge is turning that concentration into coordinated progress.
“My job is to coordinate… make sure we’re all working together to help lift each other up and advance things.”
That work involves connecting universities, government programs, and industry in a way that allows systems to move beyond isolated research efforts.
Across the conversation, the workforce emerges as a consistent constraint.
“Increasingly, people would also like to be able to hire some undergrads who already have some of the skills they need.”
That demand does not align with how the field has traditionally trained talent.
“I don’t think folks should be majoring in quantum… but then let’s give them a quantum minor.”
The approach is shifting toward integrating quantum concepts into existing disciplines and creating earlier, more practical exposure to the field.
Expanding workforce programs introduces another challenge.
“There’s a risk of creating programs too early because you don’t want to produce a bunch of students who have skills and now don’t have those jobs locally.”
Demand for quantum talent is not evenly distributed. It is concentrated in specific regions and tied to specific parts of the technology stack.
Training programs that do not reflect that reality can create gaps instead of solving them.
The pace of development continues to accelerate.
“Things have really moved and progressed faster than I ever would have expected.”
Some areas are already approaching real-world use.
“I think quantum sensors don’t get enough attention… you’re going to really start to see them making an impact.”
Quantum computing is also advancing, though with more uncertainty around near-term applications.
“I do think in the next five years we’re going to actually start to see some exciting applications.”
What emerges from Campbell’s perspective is not a single bottleneck but a system that remains uneven.
Science is advancing rapidly. The surrounding infrastructure, policy frameworks, and workforce pipelines are still adapting. Progress depends on how well those pieces align as the field moves forward.
Scaling quantum systems requires more than individual advances. It requires coordination across hardware, software, and infrastructure. Qblox works alongside research teams, industry partners, and system builders to make that possible. If you are exploring how to move from experiments to systems, we would be glad to connect.
Contact us to learn how Qblox supports scalable quantum systems.
