Trump signs executive orders to fast‑track U.S. quantum computing and post‑quantum security

U.S. President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on June 22‑23, 2026 to accelerate the nation’s quantum‑technology program and strengthen cyber‑defenses. One order sets a target to develop a quantum computer capable of supporting advanced scientific research by 2028, with a longer‑term goal of a large‑scale fault‑tolerant system by 2029, a milestone that companies such as IBM, Microsoft and Google are already pursuing.

The second order directs federal agencies to adopt post‑quantum cryptographic safeguards, aiming for full implementation across government networks by 2030‑31. It calls for coordinated planning by NASA, the Departments of Commerce, Defense and Energy, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and allocates additional funding – including a $2 billion Commerce‑Department investment for nine U.S. firms – to expand the quantum research ecosystem. The measures are presented as essential to maintain U.S. leadership in a field that could reshape economics, scientific discovery and national security, while countering the risk of adversaries exploiting future quantum decryption capabilities.