Chicago’s quantum ecosystem centerpiece is taking shape at the former US Steel South Works plant on the city’s southeast side. The 128-acre Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) was announced by Governor JB Pritzker in July 2024.
PsiQuantum, which is building the first utility-scale, fault tolerant quantum computer in the U.S., will serve as the anchor tenant. Other tenants will include the IL-DARPA Quantum Proving Ground, for testing quantum technology prototypes, Infleqtion, and Australian company Diraq.
“The Diraq mission is to design, build and deploy the world’s most cost-effective quantum computers, with the most compact footprint, allowing for mass deployment in data centers worldwide,” said Diraq’s CEO and Founder, Andrew Dzurak, in a statement. “We recently set up operations in Silicon Valley and Boston, and we are looking at suitable options for expanding our presence. The IQMP represents an exciting opportunity that can support our U.S. growth strategy.”
Is there interest in the park from other quantum players outside the U.S.?
“Absolutely,” says Preeti Chalsani, senior vice president and Chief Quantum Officer at the Illinois Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). “In addition to Diraq, the IQMP has received interest from, and is in talks with, many international companies looking to establish U.S. operations in Illinois. Our unmatched infrastructure, transportation, workforce, and existing quantum ecosystem, along with other attractions, make the IQMP and Illinois in general a highly desirable location for this emerging industry and quantum businesses, no matter their size.”
Chalsani recently was invited to speak on the Illinois quantum ecosystem and initiatives at Quantum Korea conference in South Korea.
Similarly, in a bid to reach an international audience, IEDC, P33 and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in July hosted the inaugural Global Quantum Forum, bringing together individuals from more than 20 countries centered on the global implications and opportunities of quantum.
Illinois Checks All the Boxes
“Illinois has all of the elements of the quantum value chain, providing a fertile base for further growth, development and commercialization,” says Chalsani. “For one, we’re home to world-class research institutions, including universities like the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Chicago – one of the first in the country to launch a quantum PhD program, Northwestern University and others, as well as two DOE National Labs, Argonne and Fermi, that continue to build on decades of pioneering discoveries to advance quantum science and technology.
“Together with our outstanding four-year institutions and extensive community college system, we continue to collaboratively build one of the largest quantum-ready talent pipelines in the nation,” she adds. “Collectively, Illinois has a large and highly skilled STEM talent pool, which is critical. We have some of the world’s best business schools in the University of Chicago’s Booth and Northwestern’s Kellogg, which nurture high quality business and entrepreneurial talent, another key element needed for a developing quantum industry.”
The IQMP recently launched the National Quantum Algorithm Center, a one-of-a-kind opportunity for companies across sectors to work alongside quantum experts, researchers and academics to solve industry challenges. Chalsani says the initiative will focus on the development of quantum algorithms and applications, ultimately developing solutions to some of society’s most complex challenges.
“Quantum investment is concentrating in Illinois because industry resources and anchors exist to support growing businesses.”
— Andrew Batson, Senior Director, Americas Data Center Research and Strategy, JLL
How Illinois Stacks Up Globally
Chicago is one of six U.S. locations among 20 worldwide recognized as leading global quantum real estate markets in The Future of Quantum Real Estate, a report released in July by JLL. It would have been hard to exclude it.
Few places have a quantum computing ecosystem like the Windy City, which the JLL report says has attracted more than $1 billion in quantum-related investment in recent years. It’s home to the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE), a regional hub comprised of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and research universities in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. CQE is based at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering.
The Bloch Quantum Tech Hub, organized by CQE, is a coalition of universities; government, economic development and workforce agencies; and companies large and small working in the quantum computing space. It was awarded a $500,000 Consortium Accelerator Award grant from the Economic Development Administration in 2024 to boost industry adoption of quantum computing.
Still another organization in the ecosystem is P33, which it says is “a nonprofit organization accelerating Chicago’s growth as a global tech and innovation hub by aligning the city’s research institutions, corporate leaders, civic talent, and investment ecosystem around high-impact sectors,” including quantum computing.
“When we think about the ingredients needed to form a global quantum ecosystem, Chicago scores very high across the board (universities, existing quantum facilities, government support, advocacy groups, skilled workforce and a growing private sector),” says Andrew Batson, senior director, Americas Data Center Research and Strategy, JLL, a co-author of the firm’s report. “Quantum investment is concentrating in Illinois because industry resources and anchors exist to support growing businesses.
“Chicago has established itself as a global quantum leader,” he adds. “The industry foundation that has developed in Chicago has a gravitation pull, which will attract additional investment over time and help the region sustain its leading position for a number of years.”
