In this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast our guest is Celia Merzbacher, who is executive director of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C).

Based near Washington, DC, QEC-C is an international organization that identifies gaps in quantum-related technologies, standards, and workforces and addresses those gaps through collaboration between industry and governments.

Merzbacher is an R&D expert who has recently testified before the US House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on the issues facing the quantum industry. She shares her insights on the challenges of building a quantum workforce and explains why the strong coordination of academia, industry and governments is essential for future success.