The Bloch Quantum Tech Hub has won nearly $55 million to build the nation a quantum supply chain following a U.S. Economic Development Administration award that positions the Illinois-Wisconsin-Indiana region as the center of quantum manufacturing.
The multisector project, led by the University of Chicago-based Chicago Quantum Exchange, leverages the Midwest’s existing manufacturing capacity, talent and industry base to overcome a major hurdle to U.S. quantum growth—a reliance on foreign imports that slows innovation, creates security risks and raises production costs. A $30 million EDA award, announced July 20, unlocks additional commitments from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the University of Chicago, Infleqtion, One Region in Northwest Indiana, IonQ, IBM and others. It also paves the way for thousands of new quantum-focused jobs.
“Advancing the frontier of quantum technologies and realizing the benefits of these new powerful new methods and systems will require deep collaboration across academia, government, and industry to develop the necessary talent, infrastructure, and manufacturing ecosystem,“ said UChicago President Paul Alivisatos. “The University of Chicago is grateful for this new federal support and is proud to play an important role in bringing the promise and potential of the Bloch Quantum Tech Hub to fruition in the years ahead.“
The Bloch was one of six U.S. Tech Hubs to earn awards in this round of funding by the EDA, an agency of the Department of Commerce. The Bloch (pronounced “block”) is among the 31 original U.S. Tech Hubs designated by the EDA in 2023.
“The Bloch will drive U.S. quantum leadership, strengthen national security, and create jobs by eliminating barriers to domestic quantum manufacturing, a challenge that the Midwest is uniquely equipped to address,” said David Awschalom, the Liew Family Professor of Quantum Engineering and Physics at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, director of the CQE, principal investigator of The Bloch, and a senior scientist at Argonne National Laboratory. “Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana are all top 10 manufacturing states, and the Midwest is home to a diverse industry base, world-leading research institutions, and a large talent pool.“
The investment is the latest boost to the Midwest, which is fast becoming one of the most influential quantum hubs in the world.
“The quantum boom is happening right here in Illinois, helping us create jobs, cure diseases, and strengthen our national security,” said U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. “After years of advocating alongside Governor Pritzker and local leaders, this investment will go a long way to help support the Bloch and our Midwest neighbors. The sky is the limit for what quantum can help us achieve, and Illinois is leading the way.”
The U.S. has signaled its strong interest in scaling a quantum manufacturing supply chain. In May, the Commerce Department announced a landmark $2 billion federal investment in nine quantum companies, including $1 billion in funding to IBM to establish of America’s first purpose-built, pure-play quantum foundry for advanced superconducting quantum wafers. In June, President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling on federal agencies to prioritize quantum technology by bolstering the domestic ecosystem for quantum supply chains, expanding the workforce, addressing security risks, and more.
Quantum, made in America
U.S. Tech Hubs were designed to drive economic growth by investing in the maturation, testing, and production of emerging critical technologies, such as quantum. The award to The Bloch builds upon deep investments in quantum over the past decade.
“This award is a powerful validation of Illinois’ vision to become the global capital of quantum—helping us accelerate innovation, strengthen supply chains and create good-paying jobs,“ said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. “Together with our historic investments in the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, our state is building an innovation ecosystem to drive economic growth and shape the future of quantum for decades to come—with Illinois and the United States in a leadership role.“
The Bloch Quantum’s EDA grant funded four interconnected projects, which will:
- Transition 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;
- Provide 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;
- Strengthen security for U.S. quantum technologies and mobilize a projected $300 million in additional investments;
- Build a facility at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park that will bring key players together, giving suppliers access to customers.
Together, The Bloch’s projects integrate key components and processes, enabling quantum stakeholders to create efficient quantum production cycles. Right now, many of the materials, components, and subsystems used in quantum technologies are imported from other countries.
Quantum technologies are poised to deliver advances in medicine, finance and national defense—and their transformative potential has sparked a global race with countries like the U.S., China and Japan investing billions of dollars.
Fueling the ‘Quantum Prairie’
The Bloch’s work is projected to drive billions of dollars in economic impact. IMEC identified more than 60 regional manufacturers that are ready now to become part of the quantum supply chain — and the Bloch’s work is projected to map hundreds more.
“Our region’s deep bench of expertise combined and the CQE’s years of intentional, proactive work to build an integrated quantum ecosystem have created a powerful foundation for The Bloch’s work,” said CQE CEO Kate Timmerman. “We are grateful that the EDA’s support will enable The Bloch to make this vital contribution to the nation while driving job creation and economic value in the Quantum Prairie.”
The CQE region is home to leading universities and national labs; more than two dozen quantum startups; and a growing roster of facilities including the Roberts Impact Lab, a commercialization center and regional hub for business growth under development by Purdue University Northwest; Hyde Park Labs, which provides access to shared quantum equipment; a National Quantum Algorithm Center; and the Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park, which will include the DARPA-Illinois Quantum Proving Ground, shared cryogenic facilities, and more.
Launched in 2017, the UChicago-based CQE is anchored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Northwestern University, and Purdue University and includes nearly 70 industry, nonprofit, and international partners.
—Adapted for a story that first appeared on the Chicago Quantum Exchange website.