Illinois Quantum And Microelectronics Park IQMP In Chicago
Pritzker inaugurates Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park: Chicago's South Side key tenant PsiQuantum begins construction.
A coalition of premier quantum commercial, research, academic, and government organisations joined Governor JB Pritzker to commemorate PsiQuantum's facility's ceremonial groundbreaking at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP). This groundbreaking ceremony begins the development of cutting-edge Quantum Shore facilities on Chicago's South Side that will complete the Park. With this gigantic endeavour, Illinois may lead quantum research, create billions, and thousands of employment.
Anchoring Quantum Future with PsiQuantum
An anchor tenant of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park IQMP, PsiQuantum, will host the first utility-scale, error-corrected quantum computer. Prof. Jeremy O'Brien, CEO and co-founder of PsiQuantum, said the company is building the largest quantum computing project in the US with Illinois' support. He said they were thrilled to build America's first utility-scale quantum computer on the South Side of Chicago to unlock the “world-changing potential of quantum computing”.
IBM, Diraq, and Infleqtion are among the IQMP's growing international businesses. Dr Harley Johnson, Executive Director and CEO of the Park, said the groundbreaking marks the start of a new era for IQMP, which is becoming North America's largest quantum ecosystem with these founding partners. Johnson promised to make the Park a beacon of South Side pride and global innovation.
An Innovation and Transformation Hub
The unique Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park IQMP is for advanced microelectronics R&D and quantum technology scale-up. Strategic design supports the entire ecosystem of corporations, researchers, suppliers, end users, and partners needed to commercialise quantum technologies faster. These technologies can improve healthcare, energy, the climate catastrophe, transportation, financial services, and agriculture, addressing some of humanity's biggest issues.
The state of Illinois has heavily invested in this business. After $200 million for the Chicago Quantum Exchange, $500 million was invested in Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park IQMP. This first commitment strengthened Illinois' national leadership, attracted federal research dollars, and helped launch the current effort. The momentum is clear, as the IQMP is expected to create thousands of jobs and give Chicago over $20 billion in economic impact.
Key IQMP partners assure its success:
IBM will bring its Quantum System Two computer to the Park. At the IQMP, IBM and the State will build the National Quantum Algorithm Centre (NQAC).
Infleqtion will build its global quantum computing headquarters at Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park IQMP with a $50 million investment. This funding will help Infleqtion develop a utility-scale, neutral atom quantum system and the next version of its Sqale quantum computer.
Diraq, an Australian business awarded a DARPA contract, will use temporary lab space and specialised equipment to work through the Park's On-Ramp Program while it is being built.
Under the Quantum Proving Ground (QPG) project, quantum R&D researchers who get competitive DARPA funds can use the Park's shared facilities and help pay for infrastructure.
Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park IQMP's unique National Quantum Algorithm Centre (NQAC) will bring hardware makers, software developers, end users, and quantum algorithm experts together to solve practical challenges.
Due to these commitments, IQMP has the most quantum activity in North America. The IQMP launched an On-Ramp program to allow potential tenants to join the Chicago quantum ecosystem before the campus is ready.
Transformation of South Side
Local leaders said this project is about community transformation. The Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park is “more than technology, it is about transformation for South Chicago,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. With a new Advocate Health facility and lakefront access, the investment should enhance employment and education.
“This historic groundbreaking serves as an international reminder that future-focused technological opportunities will be born not just in Silicon Valley but on the southeast side of Chicago,” said Cook County Board president Toni Preckwinkle. “The Pritzker-Stratton administration has worked tirelessly with partners to make this investment a reality in communities that have often been overlooked,” said Ms. Stratton.
The idea calls for “Quantum Shore” on South Chicago's abandoned steelmaking site. In 1992, the U.S. Steel South Works closed here. Curt Bailey, president of Related Midwest, the master developer, believes this ecosystem will inspire innovation.
The development offers several community benefits. The project comprises a 53-bed Advocate Health Care hospital, more than 100 acres of restored and expanded parkland, and new recreational trails to Steelworkers Park, Park 566, the lakefront, and the old ore walls to create a vibrant ecosystem. This puts South Chicago at the forefront of quantum computing, says 10th Ward Alderman Peter Chico.
Highlighting Future Talent
Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park IQMP and its partners prioritise workforce development and community involvement by interacting with area residents, educators, small businesses, and community organisations. Most importantly, postsecondary programs at Chicago State University and the City Colleges of Chicago teach K–12 students quantum principles, investing in the next generation of talent.
Bowen High School head Priscilla Horton said South Chicago youth may see themselves in schools with PsiQuantum investment. Chicago State University President Zaldwaynaka Scott said the Park represents cultivating the “immense talent that exists right here in the communities”. “We are honoured to be a part of this historic moment, preparing the next generation of diverse workforce talent to lead in the quantum era,” stated City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Juan Salgado.
National Laboratory-Academic Collaboration
The effort received significant financing from Illinois' top universities and research institutions. According to University of Illinois System president Timothy Killeen, the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park IQMP illustrates the state's commitment to leading the quantum revolution. Dean Nadya Mason of the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering stressed the importance of these links in creating a global quantum ecosystem. Northwestern University president Henry Bienen said their diversified research environment fosters quantum physics discoveries for scalable enterprises and technologies.
Additionally, state national laboratories are important. “The Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park IQMP supports U.S. Department of Energy quantum research goals and enhances innovation ecosystems,” stated Fermilab Interim Director Young-Kee Kim. Argonne National Laboratory's Paul Kearns congratulated the partners and predicted that the "Quantum Prairie" will become the nation's quantum research hub.