About Quantum Builders: Fireside chats with quantum experts
Tune in for an insightful chat with the 'Quantum Builders'—the experts, researchers, and entrepreneurs making the quantum revolution happen. Hosted by Qblox, this podcast is your comprehensive resource for in-depth, full-spectrum discussions with the innovators defining the entire ecosystem. Expect frank discussions and uncensored views of the quantum landscape, covering everything from technical challenges to what motivates these leaders to be a 'Quantum Builder.' Press play and start building your knowledge of tomorrow, today.
Michael Hatridge | Measuring, Controlling, and Connecting Quantum Systems
Host [Host Name] interviews Michael Hatridge, a quantum expert, about measuring, controlling, and connecting superconducting quantum systems to enable practical quantum computers.
15 Jul 2026
Laura Schulz | From Supercomputers to Quantum Accelerators
Why This Conversation Matters
Quantum computing is rapidly evolving away from a standalone, speculative novelty into a vital, integrated component of the advanced computing continuum. As the computing demands of modern science outpace traditional silicon, the ultimate frontier of breakthrough discovery will rely on a tightly choreographed triad of classical supercomputing, artificial intelligence, and quantum acceleration.
However, building this future is no longer just an isolated physics problem—it is a complex challenge of infrastructure engineering, systems orchestration, global policymaking, and long-term ecosystem building. Laura Schulz operates at the direct intersection of these massive industries.
Having directed landmark programs on both sides of the Atlantic—from the U.S. Department of Energy labs to Germany’s Munich Quantum Valley and the broader EuroHPC framework—Laura possesses an end-to-end view of the field. Her strategic, systems-first approach offers an indispensable map for transitioning quantum technology out of pure exploratory phases and into reliable, high-performance utility engines.
5 Jun 2026
Christophe Jurczak | From Quantum Physics to Venture Capital: Building the Global Quantum Ecosystem
Why this conversation matters:
Quantum technology is moving from a field dominated by academic research into a global industry involving startups, investors, governments, national labs, and major corporations. But building a quantum industry is not only a scientific challenge. It also requires capital, infrastructure, talent, public policy, patient timelines, and new models for translating laboratory discoveries into scalable companies.
Christophe Jurczak has seen this transition from nearly every angle. He began as a quantum physicist, worked in government and defense, helped scale renewable energy and industrial technologies, experienced Silicon Valley during the early commercialization of quantum computing, and then co-founded one of the first venture funds dedicated to quantum technologies.
This conversation offers a rare opportunity to understand how frontier science becomes an investable ecosystem — and what it takes to build companies around technologies that may take years, or even decades, to reach full maturity. As the quantum sector enters a new phase, questions around hype, commercialization, public funding, industrial adoption, and global competition are becoming increasingly important. Christophe’s perspective helps connect the science of quantum technologies with the practical realities of building an industry around them.
13 May 2026
Irfan Siddiqi | Building Quantum Systems from Measurement Up
Join us for an exclusive Fireside Chat with Irfan Siddiqi
Quantum computing is no longer defined solely by qubits — it’s increasingly shaped by how we measure, control, and integrate entire systems. Many of the breakthroughs driving progress today, from high-fidelity readout to real-time feedback, stem from advances in quantum measurement science.
These capabilities are critical to scaling quantum processors and enabling practical error correction.At (http://correction.At) the same time, innovation is being accelerated by regional ecosystems and national initiatives, where universities, national laboratories, and industry work together to build scalable quantum platforms. California has emerged as a leading hub in this model, anchored by UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, alongside a rapidly expanding startup landscape.
In this conversation, Prof. Irfan Siddiqi — Professor at UC Berkeley, Faculty Scientist at Berkeley Lab, and Director of the Advanced Quantum Testbed — brings a firsthand perspective from the forefront of the field. A pioneer of quantum measurement science and real-time quantum control, his work bridges foundational physics, system engineering, and large-scale collaboration.
21 Apr 2026
Lieven Vandersypen | Building Silicon Spin Quantum Processors
Join us for an exclusive Fireside Chat with Lieven Vandersypen
Semiconductor spin qubits promise scalable quantum computing, blending long-lived spin physics with semiconductor fabrication. Over the past two decades, Lieven Vandersypen has been at the forefront of this journey—pushing qubit control, larger processors, and architecture-aware experiments, while helping Delft become a model quantum ecosystem. This conversation offers a rare chance to hear from a scientist shaping both the field and the path from research to real-world quantum technology.
31 Mar 2026
Kyle Serniak | Materials, Noise, and Quantum Hardware at MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Join us for an exclusive Fireside Chat with Kyle Serniak
Quantum computing progress ultimately depends on the performance of the hardware that powers it. Behind every qubit lies a complex interplay of materials science, device physics, fabrication processes, and subtle noise mechanisms that determine how well quantum systems actually work.
In this fireside conversation, Dr. Kyle Serniak of MIT Lincoln Laboratory will explore how researchers engineer better superconducting qubits and study the physical limits of quantum hardware. We’ll discuss the role of materials and fabrication in qubit performance, the work happening inside MIT Lincoln Laboratory and the SQUILL Foundry, and what it takes to train the next generation of quantum hardware engineers.
6 Feb 2026
David Awschalom | From Spintronics to Quantum Engineering: Building the Chicago Quantum Ecosystem
Join us for an exclusive Fireside Chat with David Awschalom
Iiew Family Professor of Molecular Engineering at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (University of Chicago); Director of the Chicago Quantum Institute; Founding Director of the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE); Senior Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory; and Inaugural Director of Q-NEXT, the U.S. Department of Energy Quantum Information Science Research Center.
Quantum technology is transitioning from breakthrough laboratory experiments to engineered, scalable systems. The regions that will lead this next phase are those that successfully integrate foundational science, shared infrastructure, and collaborative models that can operate at national scale.
In this Fireside Chat, David Awschalom—one of the world’s leading solid-state quantum scientists and ecosystem builders—shares insights from his journey from spintronics research to the creation of one of the most influential quantum hubs in the world. Drawing on his experience across academia, national laboratories, and large DOE initiatives, he offers a rare perspective on how quantum platforms mature and how durable ecosystems are built.
29 Jan 2026
Charles (Chuck) Black | Building Quantum Advantage: Inside Brookhaven’s Quantum Ecosystem
Join us for an exclusive Fireside Chat with Charles (Chuck) Black, Deputy Associate Laboratory Director, Energy and Photon Sciences Directorate at Brookhaven National Laboratory and Director of the Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage (C2QA).
Quantum technology is rapidly evolving from isolated research projects into coordinated, large-scale national initiatives. National laboratories are at the forefront of this transformation, connecting cutting-edge science, advanced infrastructure, and long-term strategy.
In this Fireside Chat, Charles (Chuck) Black, a Harvard-trained physicist with leadership experience in quantum information science, nanofabrication, and national research programs, shares his perspective on how the U.S. is building quantum capabilities and shaping the future of this transformative field.
19 Dec 2025
Gretchen Campbell | Designing the Quantum Future: Research, Policy, and Workforce
Join us for an exclusive Fireside Chat with Dr. Gretchen Campbell, a national leader who has shaped quantum strategy from the lab bench to the White House.
Dr. Campbell—Associate Vice President for Quantum Research & Education at the University of Maryland and former Assistant Director for Quantum Information Science at the White House OSTP—will offer a firsthand insights into the rapid evolution of U.S. quantum policy.
From pioneering research in atomtronics and ultracold atoms to coordinating the National Quantum Initiative, Dr. Campbell bridges the worlds of cutting-edge science and high-level governance.
6 Nov 2025
Steven Girvin | From Circuit QED to Quantum Error Correction
Join Steven M. Girvin, Sterling Professor of Physics at Yale University, co-developer of the revolutionary Circuit Quantum Electrodynamics (Circuit QED) architecture, and founding director of DOE’s Co-Design Center for Quantum Advantage, for a candid discussion on the foundations and future of superconducting quantum computing. From the original theoretical breakthroughs to the cutting-edge work on error correction, this is an opportunity to hear directly from one of the field's most influential pioneers about the path to fault-tolerant, scalable quantum systems.
17 Oct 2025
Peter Shor | Quantum Foundations to Quantum Futures
Insights from Shor's Algorithm creator:
Few names are as synonymous with quantum innovation as the world-renowned mathematician and physicist Peter Shor. His invention of Shor’s algorithm, the first quantum algorithm proven to solve integer factorization exponentially faster than classical algorithms, paved the way for modern quantum computing and cryptography as we know it today. In this episode, Shor reflects on the early days of quantum theory, the breakthroughs that followed, and the quantum challenges ahead. Whether you're a researcher, student, or enthusiast, this is your chance to hear directly from one of the most influential minds in science.
3 Oct 2025
Bert de Jong | The Quantum-HPC Frontier: Driving the Future of Hybrid Computing
Join us for an in-depth conversation at the intersection of quantum computing and high-performance computing (HPC), where science meets scale. In this session, Daniel Rodan Legrain (Qblox) welcomes Bert de Jong — Department Head for Computational Sciences at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and Director of the Quantum Systems Accelerator.
3 Oct 2025
William D. Oliver | Building the Hardware Backbone of Quantum Computing
As quantum computing moves from research demo to real-world infrastructure, engineering challenges, not just scientific breakthroughs, are taking center stage.
In this fireside chat, Qblox hosts MIT’s Prof. Will Oliver to explore the evolving challenges and breakthroughs in building scalable quantum hardware. From cryo to control, and from lab-grade setups to deployable systems, we’ll dig into what it really takes to build the backbone of the quantum future.
What you'll learn in this podcast:
➡️ The key engineering milestones and remaining roadblocks in scalable quantum systems
➡️ Where the biggest scaling bottlenecks are today: fabrication, cryo, or control
➡️ What differentiates research prototypes from engineering-grade quantum systems
➡️ How academia, startups, and national labs can collaborate more effectively
➡️ Advice for staying relevant in an industrializing quantum ecosystem
Inside a recent episode
Michael Hatridge | Measuring, Controlling, and Connecting Quantum Systems
Published 26 Aug 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] In terms of things we are underestimating, I don't know if it's a matter of underestimating. Again, I think it's this question of how many complicated things we can stitch together at once. We're very good at controlling our superconducting quantum circuits these days. Our colleagues in the other areas like neutral and ions have also made big steps forward. But it's not clear that we've mastered the full stairway of complexity up to fault tolerance. And it's not clear to me whether it's getting easier or whether each step is just a little bit harder than the one before. So I don't think it's like a particular topic we're underestimating. […]
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