# Regional quantum development with Alejandra Y. Castillo

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-new-quantum-era-innovation-in-quantum-computing-science-and-technology-5609388/regional-quantum-development-with-alejandra-y-castillo
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-new-quantum-era-innovation-in-quantum-computing-science-and-technology-5609388/regional-quantum-development-with-alejandra-y-castillo.md
Podcast: [The New Quantum Era - innovation in quantum computing, science and technology](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-new-quantum-era-innovation-in-quantum-computing-science-and-technology-5609388)
Published: 2026-01-19T16:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://newquantumera.transistor.fm/75
Audio file: https://op3.dev/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/media.transistor.fm/c93deafd/c21215a6.mp3
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Duration seconds: 1939

## Resource

Alejandra Y. Castillo, former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development and now Chancellor Senior Fellow for Economic Development at Purdue University Northwest, joins your host, Sebastian Hassinger, to discuss how quantum technologies can drive inclusive regional economic growth and workforce development. She shares lessons from federal policy, Midwest tech hubs, and cross-state coalitions working to turn quantum from lab research into broad-based opportunity. Themes and key insights Quantum as near-term and multi-faceted : Castillo pushes back on the idea that quantum is distant, emphasizing that computing, sensing, and communications are already maturing and attracting serious investment from traditional industries like biopharma. From federal de-risking to regional ecosystems : She describes the federal role as de-risking early innovation through programs under the CHIPS and Science Act while stressing that long-term success depends on regional coalitions across states, universities, industry, philanthropy, and local government. Inclusive workforce and supply-chain planning : Castillo argues that “quantum workforce” must go beyond PhDs to include a mapped ecosystem of jobs, skills, suppliers, housing, and infrastructure so that local communities see quantum as opportunity, not displacement. National security, urgency, and inclusion : She frames sustained quantum investment as both an economic and national security imperative, warning that inconsistent U.S. funding risks falling behind foreign competitors while also noting that private capital alone may ignore inclusion and regional equity. Notable quotes “We either focus on the urgency or we’re going to have to focus on the emergency.” “No one state is going to do this… This is a regional play that w…

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