Leaders from Industry, Academia, and Government Convene to Advance AI, Quantum, and Workforce Innovation
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, April 16, 2026 – Leaders from across academia, industry, and government will convene for the Ecosystem for Research Networking (ERN) Virtual Summit 2026, a national gathering focused on advancing collaboration, expanding access to advanced technologies, and strengthening the future workforce.
Centered on the theme, “Beyond Resources: Integrating AI, Quantum, and the Workforce of the Future,” the summit brings together experts from organizations including the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, leading universities, national laboratories, and industry partners to explore how emerging technologies can be more effectively integrated into research, education, and innovation ecosystems.
“We are at a pivotal moment, with unprecedented national investments in AI, quantum, and advanced cyberinfrastructure. But the true measure of success will not be the resources we build, it will be how effectively we integrate them into research, education, and workforce pathways, and who is ultimately able to participate, notes Forough Ghahramani, Ed.D., Co-Chair, ERN Summit; Assistant Vice President for Research & Innovation, Edge. Continues Ghahramani, “This summit is about moving beyond access to enable meaningful engagement, bringing together national initiatives, regional ecosystems, and institutions of all types to ensure that innovation is both inclusive and impactful.”
“We are at a pivotal moment, with unprecedented national investments in AI, quantum, and advanced cyberinfrastructure. But the true measure of success will not be the resources we build, it will be how effectively we integrate them into research, education, and workforce pathways, and who is ultimately able to participate. This summit is about moving beyond access to enable meaningful engagement, bringing together national initiatives, regional ecosystems, and institutions of all types to ensure that innovation is both inclusive and impactful.”
– Forough Ghahramani, Ed.D.
Co-Chair, ERN Summit
Assistant Vice President for Research & Innovation, Edge
Elaborates Barr von Oehsen, Ph.D., Director, Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, “Democratizing access to advanced computing, research instruments, and data is not simply about expanding availability, it’s about ensuring that institutions have the connectivity, workflows, and support needed to effectively use these resources. By aligning national platforms with regional initiatives, we can create a more cohesive ecosystem that enables broader participation, accelerates discovery, and strengthens the workforce needed to support the future of research.”
The summit will feature a keynote address by Masoud Mohseni, Senior Distinguished Technologist and Director of HPE Quantum at Hewlett Packard Labs, titled: “Heterogeneous Quantum–Classical Computing: Scaling Through Integration.” Dr. Mohseni will explore how integrating quantum and classical computing systems can unlock new pathways for scalability and performance, highlighting the importance of hybrid architectures in advancing real-world applications. His keynote will set the stage for the summit’s focus on bridging cutting-edge research with practical, deployable solutions across sectors.
“Democratizing access to advanced computing, research instruments, and data is not simply about expanding availability, it’s about ensuring that institutions have the connectivity, workflows, and support needed to effectively use these resources. By aligning national platforms with regional initiatives, we can create a more cohesive ecosystem that enables broader participation, accelerates discovery, and strengthens the workforce needed to support the future of research.”
– Barr von Oehsen, Ph.D.
Director, Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center
The summit will feature a series of panels addressing:
- Cross-sector collaboration to accelerate AI and quantum innovation,
- Federated data ecosystems and data-sharing frameworks to support scalable research, and
- National and regional initiatives aimed at democratizing access to advanced infrastructure.
A central focus of the discussions will be ensuring that institutions of all sizes, including non-R1 and emerging research institutions, small liberal arts colleges, and community colleges can participate meaningfully in the evolving technology landscape.
Panelists will examine not only the expansion of infrastructure and resources, but also the critical need for:
- Alignment across policy, platforms, and workforce development,
- New models for federated collaboration and data sharing, and
- Sustainable approaches to regional and national partnerships.
The agenda highlights the growing importance of connecting national investments with regional ecosystems to enable broader participation and long-term impact.
View the full agenda: ERN Summit 2026 Agenda and register here for the virtual conference.
About ERN Summit
The Ecosystem for Research Networking (ERN) Summit brings together leaders from across sectors to advance collaboration, expand access to research infrastructure, and strengthen the national innovation ecosystem. Through a focus on emerging technologies such as AI and quantum, the summit aims to foster partnerships that enable broader participation and accelerate discovery and impact. For more information about the ERN, please visit the ERN website.
About Edge
Edge serves as a member-owned, nonprofit provider of high-performance optical fiber networking and internetworking, Internet2, and a vast array of best-in-class technology solutions for cybersecurity, educational technologies, cloud computing, and professional managed services. Edge provides these solutions to colleges and universities, K-12 school districts, government entities, hospital networks, and nonprofit business entities as part of a membership-based consortium spanning across the nation.