MON AM News: UW research paving way for ‘scalable and practical’ quantum computing; State farmland values hold firm in 2025, report shows

July 20, 2026

— UW-Madison researchers are “paving the way for scalable and practical” quantum computing by using advanced sensors to improve the technology.

That’s according to the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, which is touting the approach as a top licensing prospect in its portfolio of engineering and computer science research from the university.

In an overview on the technology, WARF notes future quantum computers could “open new scientific and engineering frontiers” due to their advantages over classical computers. But while the potential for this next wave of computing is immense, quantum information itself is “prone to significant errors,” which can be worsened by imperfect reading of quantum bits or qubits, the group says.

These basic units of information used for quantum computing differ from bits, which can only exist as 0 or 1, forming the basis of classical computing. Because qubits can exist in both states at the same time, thanks to quantum mechanics, they enable vastly superior computing power and speed.

But the challenges with both reading and writing qubits “fundamentally limit” the current process for running quantum computing programs, holding back the technology, according to the overview.

“Fast and accurate qubit readout, therefore, is essential for unlocking the quantum advantage,” authors wrote. “Current quantum computers use conventional cameras for reading qubits, which are inherently slow and noisy.”

To improve on this process, the UW-Madison researchers are using single-photon “quanta” sensors to more quickly and accurately read qubits by detecting individual photons. WARF says this could transform the capabilities of future quantum computers and enable their widespread use.

The innovation is attributed to Profs. Mohit Gupta, Mark Saffman and Andreas Velten, whose expertise includes computer sciences, physics, medical informatics and other fields.

The Wisconsin Technology Council earlier this year launched the Wisconsin Quantum Alliance, seeking to drive development within the state for this emerging field.

See the overview.

See the patent application.

Read more about quantum developments in Wisconsin in a recent story.

— Farmland values in Wisconsin “held firm” in 2025 as dairy operations are giving a boost to certain areas of the state, a new report from Compeer Financial shows.

The farm credit cooperative on Friday rolled out its last farmland value trend report covering Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois, noting land values in the region “remained strong” while also highlighting challenges facing farmers.

These include tight margins for soybeans and corn, along with falling milk prices.

Ten benchmark locations across Wisconsin saw their value rise by 10.8% between December 2024 and December 2025 on average, according to the report. The greatest growth across these locations was 25.9% for the period.

Between January and June of 2026, those benchmark values saw a further increase of 4.5% on average. Authors note eastern Wisconsin in particular is seeing substantial increases.

“A lot of the highest-value land is near dairies,” said Jeff Jens, a certified appraiser with the co-op. “Close proximity to cropland lowers manure hauling and feed costs for those operations.”

Meanwhile, limited inventory is supporting competitive bidding on farmland parcels, helping to boost their value.

Auctions in the fall and later this year will indicate if this trend persists throughout 2026, authors noted.

The report also shows land values in Illinois and Minnesota are solid but aren’t “seeing the gains that some areas in Wisconsin” have experienced.

See the full report.

— The latest survey from Wipfli shows labor cost pressures and volatility in raw materials are driving higher costs for manufacturers.

The Milwaukee firm last week rolled out results from its Manufacturing Benchmarking Survey, which tapped 456 companies through an online survey conducted between April and May.

It found raw material price volatility was the top factor leading to higher costs at 26% followed by labor costs at 21%.

“What we’re seeing now is those cost pressures becoming more directly tied to tariff activity, which is creating ripple effects across profitability and pricing strategies,” Cara Walton, director of manufacturing market intelligence at Wipfli, said in a release.

Uncertainty linked to tariffs is influencing manufacturers’ sourcing decisions, as some respondents reported moving toward domestic quotes as well as delaying work. Walton notes companies can often pass through raw material price increases, but that takes time.

“That delay creates margin pressure, especially for smaller suppliers working with larger customers where negotiations are more complex and prolonged,” she wrote.

Still, 60% of those surveyed expect revenue growth of at least 5% this year, with Wipfli describing the outlook as “resilient” despite the tariff pressures.

While some sectors are outperforming expectations, such as aerospacae, defense and infrastructure, others are seeing weaker demand. That includes heavy truck makers, agriculture and consumer-related segments.

Overall, capital investment activity “remains steady” among surveyed companies at about 5% of revenue. Respondents are spending on automation, productivity and more flexible production capacity.

While 91% of survey respondents were U.S.-based, others were located in Canada, Europe and elsewhere. Of the American firms, 75% were located in the Midwest while others were spread evenly across the rest of the country.

Top sectors for respondents included plastics processors with 25% and metalworking companies at 22%, while the next largest category was “other” with 15%.

See the release.

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