Vanderbilt and EPB of Chattanooga, formerly known as the Electric Power Board of Chattanooga, plan to build the Institute for Quantum Innovation in Chattanooga pending accrediting agency approval, as announced Dec. 10. The institute will serve as a place for faculty, staff and graduate students to work directly with EPB to advance progress in quantum science, technology research and discoveries.
The collaboration between Vanderbilt and EPB will help advancements in energy, national security, health, insurance, logistics and critical infrastructure. If approved, the institute will be the first facility in the U.S. to provide commercial access to a trapped-ion quantum computer and a photonics-based local quantum network. Chattanooga will also experience increased job opportunities and economic development.
Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said the partnership will help the advancement of quantum innovation. He thanked the individuals who contributed to and supported the collaboration between Vanderbilt and EPB.
“From cybersecurity to energy distribution to medicine and science of all kinds, the potential for quantum innovation to improve our lives is enormous,” Diermeier said. “We are delighted to collaborate with EPB and thank the members of Tennessee’s congressional delegation and the state and federal officials who helped make this collaboration possible. We are grateful to the leaders, businesses and residents of the Chattanooga area who have supported EPB’s expansive vision.”
Junior Ethan Kur, vice president of the Vanderbilt Quantum Institute club on campus, said he initially had mixed reactions about the location of the campus but was overall excited for the opportunities associated with the partnership.
“It has felt that [Vanderbilt is] a little bit behind the game [in quantum], at least with respect to a few other leading universities. This is a great step forward, but the fact that it’s a couple hundred miles away is a little discouraging in terms of what that means for undergraduate engagement,” Kur said. “At the same time, I think there are absolutely advantages to having it a little bit outside of our Central Nashville area in terms of space and freedom, and I’m sure EPB will be a great resource and partner in the endeavor.”
Junior Jaiden Sutaria, a project lead in VQI, sees potential for the collaboration to invite additional opportunities aligned with pre-professional experiences the university already offers.
“I think that it would be cool if Vanderbilt did something similar with what they’re doing with the New York campus, where students could take a semester or something to the quantum campus, and then participate in the semester as an internship or take quantum-related classes for their major as well,” Sutaria said.
While the institute is designed for graduate-level education, some Vanderbilt undergraduates believe the collaboration could have broader implications by not only driving greater investment but also greater interest in the quantum field. First-year Unmol Sharma, a member of VQI, said he believes the partnership will have indirect effects on undergraduates due to this increased awareness of the quantum field.
“More connections with the EPB, even if it’s not directly with undergrads, and the knowledge that [quantum is] out there and that it’s gaining traction will lead a lot more students, particularly engineering students, into quantum — especially ones who haven’t thought about it before,” Sharma said. “I think the biggest significance is really just about getting the name and funding out there and showing that Vanderbilt is taking a step in the right direction, in a novel direction, that not that many universities or not that many states are doing.”
Kur similarly said the partnership between Vanderbilt and EPB is particularly exciting when considering the potential for undergraduate involvement.
“The idea of partnership with industry definitely opens pathways for increased collaboration. I think that this could be the start of something a lot bigger than it is now,” Kur said. “[VQI is] absolutely hopeful for collaboration [with EPB], which would bridge the gap between undergraduate level and graduate research. I think it’s fair to expect that there will be much collaboration in the very near future between us. We want to get undergrads involved so that they’re prepared to hopefully go on to do more advanced work.”
