The Lessons Learned: International Quantum Partnerships panel occurred during the Market Acceleration breakout track at Quantum World Congress 2024 featuring: Philip Makotyn, President of Vexlum; Barbara Goldstein, Associate Director of the Physical Measurement Laboratory at NIST; Celia Merzbacher, Executive Director of QED-C; Mikko Nurminen, Chief Sales Officer of Bluefors; Roger McKinlay, Challenge Director Quantum Technologies at UKRI; and Outi Keski-Äijö, Head Of Quantum Computing Campaign at Business Finland.

Dr. Philip Makotyn is the President of Vexlum US, a pioneering laser startup providing cutting-edge solutions to quantum researchers. Dr. Makotyn holds Ph.D. in Physics from work at JILA (an institute between NIST and the University of Colorado - Boulder), where he studied complex quantum behavior in Bose-Einstein condensates. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois and a BS in Physics from Elmhurst University. With over 15 years of experience in quantum, Dr. Makotyn has made significant contributions to technical development, business operations, and ecosystem development, in a variety of roles such as at Lockheed Martin and Honeywell Quantum Solutions. Prior to his current position, he was the Executive Director of the University of Colorado Boulder Quantum Initiative, where he played a pivotal role in advancing quantum research and the regional quantum ecosystem. As President of Vexlum US, Dr. Makotyn drives the company's mission to enable quantum technologies through a next-generation laser architecture.

Ms. Barbara Goldstein serves as Associate Director of the Physical Measurement Laboratory, the largest operational unit at NIST which is responsible for realizing and disseminating rigorous measurements to support commercial, defense and research enterprises. Ms. Goldstein manages the “NIST on a Chip” program which is establishing a new paradigm for precision measurement dissemination through a suite of deployable, fit-for-purpose, quantum-based standards to be embedded in products or installed at user sites. Ms. Goldstein served as an Embassy Science Fellow in fall of 2021, and is continuing to work with the quantum communities in the region to foster international quantum collaboration. She chairs the international IMEKO TC25 on quantum measurement and quantum information, led a standardization outlook and maturity assessment subgroup of the UN-based ITU-T Focus Group on Quantum Information Technology for Networks, and developed a standards landscape through the Quantum Economic Development Consortium.

Dr. Celia Merzbacher is Executive Director of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C), a consortium that aims to enable and grow the U.S. quantum industry. QED-C is supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and approximately 250 industry, academic and other members worldwide and is managed by SRI International. Dr. Merzbacher is on the CSIS Commission on U.S. Quantum Leadership and is U.S. Co-Chair of the Quad Investors Network’s Quantum Center of Excellence. She also serves as an advisor to several quantum research organizations. Previously, she was the Assistant Director of Technology R&D at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Executive Director of the President’s Council of Advisors for Science and Technology. Dr. Merzbacher is a Fellow of the AAAS and served as Chair of the National Materials and Manufacturing Board of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.

Mikko Nurminen is the Chief Sales Officer of Bluefors. With 20 years experience in global high tech businesses, including Nokia, Mikko Nurminen has played a key role in taking leading tech companies all the way from start-up to scale-up. With an MSc from Tampere University, his expertise in sales, marketing and leading product-based businesses puts him in a unique position to drive Bluefors’ goals of helping solve the world’s biggest challenges by enabling the quantum technology breakthrough.

Roger McKinlay has been leading the Quantum Technologies Challenge in Innovate UK since 2018. The QT Challenge funds collaborative projects and has committed over £200m to industry-led projects over the past five years.Roger is a Chartered Engineer and a past president of the Royal Institute of Navigation. He joined UKRI following a career in the defense and aerospace industries.

Outi Keski-Äijö is heading a Quantum Computing Campaign at Business Finland to accelerate the growth and the development of Finnish Quantum Ecosystem. Outi Keski-Äijö (MSc) has 30 years of experience in ICT, change leadership and innovation management at Nokia Corporation, Nokia Siemens Networks, Okmetic Ltd and Tekes (Finnish Innovation Agency). Previously, she was the Head of AI Business Program at Business Finland in 2017-2021.

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