Over the last year, the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE) continued to build one of the largest quantum information science communities in the world—connecting its members and partners through research, education and workforce development initiatives, and by supporting innovative startups.
These successes are part of the CQE’s annual report, published this month, which highlights the many accomplishments of its members and partners.
Building a quantum community
Eleven new corporate partners joined the CQE in 2021, bringing the total number of corporate partners to more than 30. The CQE also gained a new international partner and its first regional academic partner, broadening its connections throughout the Midwest and the globe. A robust series of workshops, seminars, and the fourth annual Chicago Quantum Summit further connected the community.
Fostering quantum information science research
CQE members attracted more than $134 million in funding for quantum research in 2021, and researchers made great strides on a variety of fronts, such as quantum communication and quantum computation. This included designing a compact photonic circuit that uses sound waves to rein in light, and sending entangled qubit states from one quantum network node to a second.
Educating the future workforce
Educating the next generation of quantum researchers and building an inclusive, quantum workforce will be needed to push the boundaries of next-generation technology. CQE members made strides in these efforts with funding to build transformative, modular quantum science degree and certification programs, granting PhDs in quantum science and engineering, and launching efforts to provide fellowships for undergraduate and postdoctoral scholars from diverse backgrounds.
Growing the quantum economy
In April 2021, UChicago’s Polsky Center, the CQE, and partners at Argonne, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and P33 launched Duality, the first accelerator program in the nation that is exclusively dedicated to startup companies focused on quantum science and technology. Duality later announced its first cohort of six startups, currently growing in Chicago.
Read more about the activities of the CQE members and partners in the 2022 Annual Report.