Governor JB Pritzker is joined by IQMP CEO Harley Johnson (center), Christy George, CEO of the ILEDC (far right) and Ald. Peter Chico (far left) at the Zero Point Cryogenics announcement.
Quantum is entering a new era and Illinois is leading the way.
On July 22-23, the second annual Global Quantum Forum returned to Chicago, bringing energy, important conversations and major announcements with it. Hosted by the Illinois Economic Development Corporation (ILEDC) and P33 Chicago, this year’s sold-out event drew 1,000 attendees and proved that quantum is more than just a vague scientific idea—it is rapidly shaping business strategy, workforce development and economic growth.
The Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park’s (IQMP) leadership team, tenants, academic and community partners convened with industry leaders from nearly 20 countries to talk about how to move quantum from the lab to real-world use. Many of the conversations emphasized how quantum will function alongside AI and reshape entire industries, and speakers explored what it will take to transform breakthrough discoveries into lasting economic opportunity.
“The conversations around AI and quantum are increasingly intertwined, and the places that bring together research, industry and government will be the ones that shape what’s next,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said. “Illinois is making a deliberate bet on being one of those places.”
Over the conference, one thing was clear: the future of quantum will be built through the collaboration happening in our very own state.
From major public-private investments and new international partnerships to discussions about workforce, energy, infrastructure, security and public trust, the Forum highlighted the importance of strong, connected ecosystems. In Illinois, that ecosystem continues to evolve, positioning the state as a global destination for quantum computing.
“Illinois has never waited for the future to arrive—we’ve built it,” said Christy George, CEO of ILEDC. “Quantum is the next chapter in that story, and our success won’t be defined by breakthroughs alone, but by how we bring together researchers, companies, governments and communities to solve the world’s biggest challenges.”
Read on for highlights from the Forum, major announcements and key takeaways from the panels.
Zero Point Cryogenics Establishes First U.S. Location at IQMP
Governor Pritzker joined leaders from the IQMP, Illinois EDC, DCEO and ZPC.
Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced that Zero Point Cryogenics (ZPC), a leading manufacturer of ultra-low-temperature cryogenic systems, will establish its first U.S. location at the IQMP. Supported by the Manufacturing Illinois Chips for Real Opportunity (MICRO) Program, ZPC will strengthen the specialized infrastructure needed to support the next generation of quantum technologies.
“We couldn’t have chosen a better place to open Zero Point Cryogenics’ first international Innovation and Service Hub location than here in Illinois,” said Chris Cassin, CEO and co-founder of ZPC.
IQMP Strengthens Strategic Partnership with Japan
IQMP CEO Harley Johnson (left) and Hirofumi Mori, Chair of the Global Consortium Alliances Working Group at Q-STAR, present their signed memorandum of understanding.
The IQMP and Japan’s Quantum STrategic industry Alliance for Revolution (Q-STAR) signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen collaboration between Illinois’ and Japan’s quantum ecosystems, creating new opportunities for joint research, commercialization, investment and supply chain development.
“We’re proud to open the door for Japan’s leading companies to plug into our thriving ecosystem and to advance the longstanding collaboration between the state and Japan,” said IQMP CEO Harley Johnson.
Pritzker on Building a Quantum Ecosystem
Kara Swisher leads a fireside chat with Governor Pritzker.
In his one-on-one with tech journalist and podcaster Kara Swisher, Governor Pritzker said Illinois’ quantum strategy extends far beyond building a campus—it’s about creating the world’s leading quantum ecosystem.
He reflected on Illinois’ decision to invest early in quantum, saying the state learned an important lesson from the internet era: though groundbreaking technologies were developed in Illinois, the companies, talent and economic benefits often grew elsewhere.
“Illinois has the research institutions, national laboratories and engineering talent to lead the next era of computing,” he said. “Quantum isn’t just an opportunity for Illinois; it’s an opportunity to strengthen America’s competitiveness for decades to come.”
Quantum Has Entered the Precision Era
Infleqtion CEO Matthew Kinsella (above) announced the company’s Chicago Innovation Center will become its global Quantum Center of Excellence where a fault-tolerant neutral atom quantum computer is planned for Illinois by 2027.
“We’re doubling down in Illinois,” Kinsella said. “The Precision Era is beginning, and Illinois is positioned to help lead it.”
From Possibility to Deployment
(From left) Samir Mayekar, Managing Director of the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, University of Chicago, leads the conversation with P33 CEO Brad Henderson and Dr. Pete Shadbolt, Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder, PsiQuantum.
On three separate panels, IQMP partners talked about how quantum computing is rapidly moving from scientific possibility to commercial reality. During the panel “How Quantum Will Write the Next Chapter in the History of Computing,” P33 CEO Brad Henderson and Dr. Pete Shadbolt, Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of PsiQuantum, emphasized recent milestones—including DARPA’s $125 million award to PsiQuantum and a $30 million federal grant for The Bloch Quantum Tech Hub—signaling growing confidence in the technology and the Illinois ecosystem.
“One of the great opportunities with quantum is that we get to decide what kinds of problems we commit our resources to solving,” Henderson said. “If we build this ecosystem with purpose, quantum won’t just advance computing—it will help solve some of society’s most important challenges.”
Infleqtion Chief Technology Officer Pranav Gokhale (2nd from left) joined the panel “Can Quantum Break the Bottleneck in Scientific Discovery?” that explored how quantum computing could accelerate scientific discovery by solving problems beyond the reach of today’s most powerful supercomputers. Speakers highlighted opportunities in drug discovery, advanced materials and clean energy, where quantum can better model complex systems.
“Nature already operates according to the rules of quantum mechanics—we’re simply trying to learn its instruction manual,” Gokhale said. “By helping us better understand how materials, molecules and energy systems behave at their most fundamental level, quantum can unlock discoveries that simply aren’t possible with classical computing alone.”
Bobby Mehta, Chairman, JLL, leads a conversation with Mohamad Ali, SVP & Head of IBM Consulting, and Ray Harishankar, IBM Fellow.
During the opening fireside chat “The Journey to Quantum Advantage,” IBM’s Mohamad Ali, Senior Vice President and Head of IBM Consulting, predicted quantum advantage could arrive before the end of 2026.
“The biggest breakthroughs will come from combining CPUs, GPUs and QPUs to solve problems that have been beyond our reach until now, creating entirely new possibilities for industries and society,” Ali said.
His colleague Ray Harishankar, an IBM Fellow, emphasized that as quantum computing advances, there will be opportunities to strengthen the trust that underpins our digital world.
“Building quantum-safe cryptography is about ensuring our data remains secure as the technology evolves, so organizations can confidently embrace the benefits of quantum while protecting the information that matters most.”
Infleqtion showcased a model of its Sqale neutral atom quantum computer.
Powering the Infrastructure Behind Quantum
As quantum computing advances, Forum panelists emphasized that success will depend not only on breakthrough technologies but also on the energy, infrastructure and long-term planning needed to support them. One discussion, “Powering Grand Challenges: The Energy Systems Behind Breakthroughs,” highlighted the importance of collaboration among utilities, developers, policymakers and industry to build the foundation for a thriving quantum ecosystem.
“Quantum isn’t just another data center—it’s an entirely different kind of investment,” said Meredith O’Connor, Vice Chairman and International Director, Co-Chairman of the National Site Selection and Incentives Practice at JLL. “As this industry grows, we have to do a better job telling that story. When communities understand what quantum can make possible, they’ll see these developments as opportunities to build something that benefits everyone.”
In his remarks, John Atkinson, Chairman of the ILEDC, said that Illinois’ emerging quantum ecosystem is uniquely positioned to help financial and insurance institutions make better decisions without replacing classical computing but by adding new capabilities.
As Illinois’ ecosystem continues to grow and new partnerships develop, the Global Quantum Forum revealed new pathways to accelerate innovation, collaboration and discovery. We look forward to building on this momentum and welcoming the global quantum community back for year three.
