Quantum Australia, the national centre for quantum industry growth, has appointed Petra Andrén as its chief executive.
Peter Rossdeutscher, AM, chair of Quantum Australia, said: “Petra’s deep commercial expertise and commitment to innovation will pay a pivotal role in accelerating the growth of Australia’s quantum industry. Her leadership will help us unlock new opportunities and strengthen Australia’s position on the global quantum stage.
Andrén said: “The quantum race is well and truly underway and Australia has a unique window of opportunity to stake its claim as a global leader. With world-class research and a rapidly growing industry, we must act decisively to translate our quantum expertise into real-world impact. I’m excited to be working with our partners to build a thriving quantum ecosystem that delivers economic and societal benefits for all Australians.”
While Andrén was chief executive of Sydney deep-tech incubator Cicada Innovations in 2018 it was recognised as “the best incubator in the world” by global incubator organisation inBIA.
Quantum Australia was established with a $18.4 million federal government grant under the Australian Centre for Quantum Growth program. With additional support from state governments and a consortium of national universities, the organisation focuses on accelerating the development and adoption of quantum technology in Australia.
Australia consistently ranks among the world’s top five nations for high impact quantum research and quantum computing patents and has one of the world’s largest quantum workforces.
Andrén, who take up the new role on 1 May, will face the challenge of translating this momentum into tangible industry growth and global influence.
The annual Quantum Australia Conference will be held in Brisbane 25-27 March.
Image: New Quantum Australia chief executive Petra Andrén.