Leaders in quantum science reflect, plan for future innovation
Recent advancements at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory show that 3D-printed metal molds offer a faster, more cost-effective and flexible approach to producing large composite components for mass-produced vehicles than traditional tooling methods.
The fifth annual Quantum Science Center, or QSC, Summer School at Purdue University, held Apr. 21 through Apr. 25, 2025, welcomed its largest group of students to date. Experts from industry, academia and national laboratories gathered at the Purdue Quantum Science and Engineering Institute to share their research in multiple areas of quantum science.
UT-Battelle has contributed up to $475,000 for the purchase and installation of advanced manufacturing equipment to support a program at Tennessee’s Oak Ridge High School that gives students direct experience with the AI- and robotics-assisted workplace of the future.
Scientists at ORNL have developed a vacuum-assisted extrusion method that reduces internal porosity by up to 75% in large-scale 3D-printed polymer parts. This new technique addresses the critical issue of porosity in large-scale prints but also paves the way for stronger composites.
The University of Oklahoma and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Department of Energy’s largest multi-program science and energy laboratory, have entered a strategic collaboration to establish a cutting-edge additive manufacturing center.
Working in collaboration with researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, D-Wave Quantum Inc., a quantum computing systems, software and services provider, has shown its annealing quantum computing prototype has the potential to operate faster than the leading supercomputing systems.
Mariam Kiran, a quantum research scientist at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was recently honored as a finalist at the British Council’s Study U.K. Alumni Awards 2025, which celebrate the achievements of U.K. alumni worldwide.
Inspired by a visit to ORNL’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, Jonaaron Jones launched a career in additive manufacturing that led to founding Volunteer Aerospace and now leading Beehive Industries’ external parts business. Through close collaboration with MDF, Jones has helped drive innovation in defense, aviation and energy, while growing high-tech jobs and strengthening the U.S. manufacturing base.
ORNL researchers helped introduce college students to quantum computing for the first time during the 2025 Winter Classic Invitational, providing hands-on access to real quantum hardware and training future high-performance computing users through a unique challenge that bridged classical and quantum technologies.
Researchers at ORNL tested a quantum computing approach to an old challenge: solving canonical fluid dynamics problems. The study relied on support from the Quantum Computing User Program, part of ORNL’s Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility. The results highlight avenues for further study of quantum computing’s potential to aid scientific discovery.