Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP)
The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced that it will award $30 million to The Bloch Quantum Tech Hub in Chicago, a project that looks to scale U.S. production of quantum materials, components and subsystems. The award represents a portion of the EDA's $169 million in funding distributed across six tech hubs.
Led by the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE), The Bloch is part of Illinois' effort to strengthen its critical technology sectors. The initiative is backed by the state's $500 million investment the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP), a planned 128-acre public-private campus on the site of the former U.S. Steel South Works plant on Chicago's Southeast Side.
The IQMP will feature cryogenic facilities, equipment labs and research spaces. Companies committed to the campus include IBM, anchor tenant PsiQuantum, Infleqtion, Pasqal, Diraq and Quantum Machines.
The CQE said funding from the EDA and the State of Illinois will support construction of the FaQtory, an IQMP supplier facility designed to house quantum suppliers and components manufacturers.
“This facility is an essential piece of what makes the IQMP’s model so unique,” IQMP CEO Harley Johnson said. “By offering customized, dedicated space for manufacturing work, we're able to embed essential suppliers into our ecosystem, accelerating innovation cycles for all of our partners and tenants.”
The CQE added that federal and state funding will support other Bloch initiatives, including:
- Transitioning Midwest quantum companies to scaled manufacturing by providing tools and resources, including a shared quantum sensing testbed at Purdue Northwest, automation software through Infleqtion and technical assistance funds
- Providing existing manufacturers with the tools, expertise and customer relationships to become part of a scaled domestic quantum supply chain, a project that the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC) will lead
- Strengthening security for U.S. quantum technologies and mobilizing a projected $300 million in additional investments
The State of Illinois, through the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Federal Grant Support Program, has committed $2 million to help support, scale and align all of The Bloch’s projects and investment opportunities by connecting available joint resources and personnel.
