Agreement connects Greater Washington and Daedeok Quantum Valley, creating new pathways for cross-border collaboration, technology exchange, and business growth.
Connected DMV and the Innopolis Venture Association (IVA) of the Republic of Korea have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to strengthen ties between two growing quantum innovation ecosystems: Greater Washington and South Korea’s Daedeok Quantum Valley.
The agreement, signed October 20 at the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority by Victor Hoskins, Chair of Connected DMV's Board of Trustees, and Cho Won-hee, President of IVA, establishes a framework for sustained cooperation between the two regions, including the planned launch of a Korea-U.S. Quantum Industry Working Group.
The partnership is focused on turning international connections into commercial opportunities. Through technology exchanges, business networking, delegation visits, and joint events, Connected DMV and IVA aim to identify new partnerships, support market entry, and help quantum companies navigate the journey from startup to scale-up.
The agreement comes as both regions work to translate their considerable research strengths into commercial growth.
Located in Daejeon, South Korea, Daedeok Quantum Valley brings together research institutions, technology companies, and emerging quantum ventures. Greater Washington is home to a powerful concentration of federal research institutions, universities, quantum companies, and investors, with Connected DMV's Potomac Quantum Innovation Center and Quantum World Congress helping connect these assets to the global quantum economy.
The signing was part of a weeklong Korean delegation visit to Greater Washington involving the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), Daejeon Technopark, IVA, BluePoint Partners, and four Korean quantum companies: QTomo, Quantum Nexus, OptiQLabs, and SENSORVIEW.
The delegation participated in investor meetings, industry exchanges, and business development activities, including visits to IonQ and IBM. QTomo also established a local U.S. office during the visit, offering an early example of the commercial connections the broader initiative seeks to encourage.
For Connected DMV, the agreement advances a central ambition: building the connections, partnerships, and infrastructure that allow Greater Washington's innovation economy to compete and collaborate on a global stage.
The proposed Korea-U.S. Quantum Industry Working Group will create a continuing platform to identify opportunities for technology cooperation, investment, and business expansion between the two regions.
The next chapter of the quantum economy will be built across borders. This partnership is another step toward making those connections count.