Quantum Ready: UofM Builds Research, Partnerships and Momentum for the Next Technology Economy
New UofM research projects and the Quantum Ready: Mid-South event bring researchers, industry, and government together to explore how Memphis and Tennessee can prepare for emerging quantum opportunities
Quantum computing has long sounded like a technology belonging to the distant future. But across government, industry and higher education, the conversation is increasingly shifting from what is quantum? to what should we be doing now to prepare for it?
The University of Memphis is helping move that conversation forward.
On Nov. 10, the FedEx Institute of Technology will host Quantum Ready: Mid-South — Building the Next Technology Economy, bringing together technology leaders, researchers, industry, and government to explore what quantum technology could mean for organizations in Memphis and across Tennessee.
The event is designed to give participants a clearer understanding of where quantum technology stands today, where practical applications are beginning to emerge and what businesses and organizations can do now to prepare.
But Quantum Ready represents more than a one-day discussion. It comes as UofM is expanding its own research activity around quantum information science and building a community of researchers focused on how the technology could affect businesses, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, supply chains and the workforce.
Building a Quantum Research Community at UofM
A new Quantum Information Science Research Program, a joint initiative of the Department of Management Information Systems and the Division of Research & Innovation, is supporting 12 faculty-led projects designed to build research expertise and position UofM researchers for emerging state and federal quantum opportunities.
Led by Dr. Thomas Stafford, professor and chair of the Department of Management Information Systems, the program approaches quantum from an applied perspective.
Rather than focusing exclusively on how quantum computers work, UofM researchers are asking another important set of questions: How could organizations eventually use quantum technologies, what problems might they help solve and how should businesses and communities prepare?
Those questions are leading researchers in several directions.
Dr. Ankur Arora is examining how organizations may need to learn and adapt as quantum computing develops, while Dr. Denise Devine is studying the factors that influence an organization's readiness to adopt quantum technologies.
Dr. Mark Gillenson is investigating potential uses for quantum computing in software testing, and Dr. Robert Rose is exploring its application to manufacturing scheduling. Stafford's own research looks at quantum approaches to increasingly complex supply chain automation challenges.
Other projects are exploring one of today's most closely watched technology intersections: quantum computing and artificial intelligence.
Dr. Yafang Li is developing a framework for understanding where quantum computing and AI could work together, considering both potential business applications and whether those applications are technically feasible. Dr. Hui Hao is examining how decision-making and control could eventually be shared among humans, AI, and quantum computing systems.
Preparing for a New Cybersecurity Landscape
Quantum research also raises important questions about cybersecurity.
Today's digital security relies heavily on encryption. As quantum computers become more powerful, they could eventually challenge some of the methods currently used to protect sensitive information.
That makes preparing for quantum not only a question of discovering what the technology might enable but also understanding the risks it could create.
At UofM, Dr. Pavan Mulgund is examining how cybersecurity teams can begin developing capabilities before quantum-related threats become a reality. Dr. Srikanth Venkatesan is studying quantum readiness and crypto-agility — an organization's ability to adapt its cryptographic systems as technology and security requirements change.
Preparing Memphis and Tennessee
The research extends beyond technology itself to the people, businesses and communities that may ultimately use it.
Dr. Scott Vann is developing a roadmap focused on preparing Memphis for the quantum economy, including regional readiness, workforce needs and industry adoption. Dr. Yajiong “Lucky” Xue is examining Tennessee's future quantum workforce, while Dr. Yuan Zhang is studying organizational and workforce preparedness for an emerging quantum economy.
Together, the projects demonstrate why becoming "quantum ready" involves much more than having access to a quantum computer.
It requires researchers who understand the technology, cybersecurity professionals who can anticipate new risks, businesses capable of identifying meaningful applications and a workforce prepared to support new capabilities as they emerge.
Connecting Research with the Real World
Quantum Ready will bring those different perspectives into the same room.
UofM researchers will introduce their work through a series of lightning talks, giving attendees a glimpse into the range of quantum-related questions being explored across the University. The broader program will connect that research with perspectives from industry, government and technology leaders.
The event will also explore how public-private partnerships can help move emerging technologies from research into practical application and how organizations can begin thinking about quantum before the technology becomes part of everyday business.
That connection is central to the role of the FedEx Institute of Technology, which serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research, applied problem-solving and partnerships connecting UofM expertise with industry and community needs. Quantum computing is among the emerging technology areas supported through the Institute's research and innovation activities.
From Quantum Ready to Quantum Opportunity
No one knows exactly when quantum computing will transform a particular industry or which applications will ultimately deliver the greatest impact. Many questions remain, and significant technological challenges still need to be solved.
For UofM researchers, that uncertainty is precisely why the work needs to begin now.
The University's growing quantum research portfolio provides faculty with an opportunity to develop expertise, generate early findings, build interdisciplinary collaborations, and position promising ideas for larger external research opportunities. At the same time, events such as Quantum Ready create connections among researchers, businesses, government, and technology leaders who will play different roles in determining how the technology develops and where it creates value.
Together, those efforts reflect a broader goal: ensuring that UofM, Memphis and the Mid-South have the research expertise, workforce, partnerships, and capacity to participate in the emerging quantum economy — and help shape what comes next.