SCIENCE
U.S. awards funding and signs deals to boost quantum computing industry
The U.S. government is using funding and dealmaking to accelerate domestic quantum-computing hardware manufacturing capacity.
The U.S. government is using funding and dealmaking to accelerate domestic quantum-computing hardware manufacturing capacity.
What This is
- The U.S. government is using funding and dealmaking to accelerate domestic quantum-computing hardware manufacturing capacity.
- The U.S. Department of Commerce is awarding about $2 billion in CHIPS and Science Act support across multiple quantum-computing companies and, in some cases, taking small equity stakes.
- IBM is set to receive about $1 billion to build a 300mm quantum wafer foundry called Anderon, alongside roughly $1 billion of IBM investment.
- CHIPS funding is also tied to establishing a 300mm quantum wafer fab at Albany NanoTech to produce wafers for quantum computing and communications and to support regional workforce and R&D growth.
- GlobalFoundries launched a Quantum Technology Solutions business aimed at scaling U.S.-based quantum hardware production.
- The effort targets manufacturing of quantum processing units, cryogenic CMOS chips, advanced packaging, and superconducting interconnects.
- GlobalFoundries said the manufacturing push spans multiple qubit approaches and already includes customer engagements and industry partners.
- The U.S. Department of Commerce signed a letter of intent to provide $375 million to help accelerate the build-out.
- Commerce also took about a 1% strategic equity stake in GlobalFoundries as part of the arrangement.
- Additional letters of intent include up to about $100 million for Rigetti and up to $38 million for Diraq to scale their quantum-processor R&D and manufacturing in the U.S.
Why This Matters
- Large-scale public investment signals quantum technology is being treated as strategic infrastructure, shaping long-term national power in computing, sensing, and communications.
- Government equity stakes raise governance questions about accountability, conflict of interest, and how taxpayer risk and upside are shared with private firms.
- Domestic quantum manufacturing could reduce reliance on geopolitically vulnerable suppliers and help keep sensitive know-how and production capacity under U.S. jurisdiction.
- Concentrating investment in a few hubs and firms can speed scaling and workforce development, but may also lock in technology paths before the field’s technical hurdles are resolved.