Quantum Machines to Establish R&D Hub at Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park - Quantum Computing Report
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Quantum Machines (QM) has reached an agreement with the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) to establish a flagship research and development hub in Chicago. The center will focus on a hardware-control co-design approach to integrate quantum processors with classical infrastructure and control software. While the 128-acre IQMP site continues development on Chicago's South Side, Quantum Machines will operate from the IQMP On-Ramp facilities, a 2,000-square-foot lab equipped with cryostats, lasers, and control electronics. The technical focus of the hub involves the deployment of the OPX1000, Quantum Machines' high-density modular control platform. The system will be utilized to manage hybrid quantum-classical workloads, specifically targeting superconducting and spin qubit architectures. This infrastructure is designed to reduce latency in real-time error correction and optimize the execution of complex quantum protocols by harmonizing classical computing resources with quantum backends. The facility will also support QM's existing partnership with Diraq to scale silicon-based quantum processors. Beyond hardware integration, the collaboration includes workforce development initiatives in partnership with the Chicago Quantum Exchange and the Illinois EDC. Quantum Machines has also selected Chicago as the host city for the 2026 Adaptive Quantum Circuits (AQC) conference. This regional expansion follows the state of Illinois' $500 million budget allocation for quantum infrastructure, which includes the development of the IQMP as a shared-resource campus for the commercialization of fault-tolerant quantum systems.