Israeli scientists, entrepreneurs and senior officials gathered in a panel last week to examine where Israel stands in the global race for quantum computing. The meeting came one week after Israel’s Innovation Authority announced it was establishing a consortium to develop the hardware and software necessary for quantum computing in Israel.

This consortium initiative is part of a larger government program announced almost five years ago by then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with the ambitious goal of making Israel one of the world leaders in the field.

The new consortium will enjoy a 115-million-shekel ($33.6 million) budget, the highest allotted by the Innovation Authority to any project, and consist of five Israeli companies: Elta Systems (which is part of Israeli Aircraft Industries), Quantum Art, Classic, Kedma and Rafael. They will have the support of groups of academics from the Hebrew University, Bar-Ilan, the Technion and the Weizmann Institute.

According to the conditions set by the Innovation Authority, the consortium will develop systems that will include all the components for quantum computing, such as a quantum processor, oversight and control systems, a fully automated environment and a program to reduce noise.