Gig City Goes QuantumSM captures momentum to advance quantum innovation in Chattanooga
To prepare for education, jobs and business opportunities in the emerging quantum technology sector, EPB and Qubitekk joined with community leaders, universities, schools and companies to launch Gig City Goes Quantum. The collaboration's inaugural effort began with a community-wide celebration of World Quantum Day from April 14 through May 31. Surpassing the original goal of engaging people of all ages in completing 1,000+ Quantum Learning Activities, Gig City Goes Quantum succeeded by engaging more than 120 educators in reaching nearly 8,000 students through more than 2,200 learning activities.
EPB and Qubitekk curated live stream videos and demonstrations, games and interactive resources from Hamilton County Schools, Chattanooga State Community College, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), Chattanooga 2.0, Public Education Foundation Chattanooga, National Science Foundation, National Q-12 Education Partnership and Xairos.
“EPB and Qubitekk's partnership positions Chattanooga to lead in the quantum space and serves as an example to other municipalities of supporting meaningful progress to advance quantum investments in their communities.” — Quantum Economic Development Consortium Executive Director Celia Merzbacher
The Chattanooga-based effort generated local momentum that EPB Quantum Network hopes to spread cooperatively across the country. CO.LAB, a Chattanooga-based early-stage startup accelerator, evolved its focus to sustainable mobility innovations for advancing the equitable movement of goods, people, energy and data, including a special focus on quantum technology. CO.LAB also prominently featured quantum topics on its inaugural CO.MOBILITY Summit agenda, including an address by Qubitekk Co-Founder, President and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Duncan Earl and a Quantum Bootcamp to educate attendees about the fundamentals of quantum physics and their real-world applications.