Aaron Fluitt, a science and technology leader who helped drive Argonne National Laboratory’s successful effort to secure a $115 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to launch the Q-NEXT quantum research center, joined the Chicago Quantum Exchange today as the University of Chicago-based consortium’s second CEO. He succeeds Kate Timmerman, who oversaw the CQE’s growth from a nascent research collaborative to a 70+-member/partner organization that is building the world’s premier discovery-to-deployment quantum ecosystem.
A Quantum Prairie veteran known for his ability to rally diverse stakeholders, Fluitt brings a rich background that includes a PhD in molecular engineering from UChicago; leadership and strategy roles with PsiQuantum, Argonne, and the Boston Consulting Group; and a belief that strong partnerships accelerate innovation and growth for the emerging quantum economy.
“Aaron is a mobilizer, deep thinker, and recognized leader who has built relationships in nearly every corner of the quantum ecosystem. It is difficult to imagine someone more ideally suited to the mission of the CQE, particularly now, as we work to scale a manufacturing supply chain, lead unified quantum talent development, and, ultimately, pave the way for commercially useful quantum innovations,” said David Awschalom, the University of Chicago’s Liew Family Professor of Quantum Engineering and Physics, the founding director of the CQE, and a senior scientist at Argonne. “His experience across industry, national labs, and academia — combined with his impressive record of bringing bold ideas to life — will help catapult the CQE into its next phase of impact.”
'A record of bringing bold ideas to life'
Fluitt helped lead the Argonne team that in 2020 incubated and launched Q-NEXT, one of five DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Centers. The center brought together 23 institutions and more than 80 principal investigators, including Awschalom, who became Q-NEXT’s inaugural director. The launch of Q-NEXT, along with three other Illinois-based National Quantum Initiative Act centers, was an early signal that the Midwest was emerging as a center of quantum innovation.
Fluitt also built new initiatives in advanced energy technologies. In 2022, Fluitt launched Argonne’s Materials Manufacturing Innovation Center (MMIC) as a new hub for industry collaborations. He also launched a lab-wide initiative on carbon conversion and separations, focused on accelerating new technology through the application of advanced computation, discovery science, and process scale-up.
“We are looking forward to Dr. Aaron Fluitt joining the CQE as its CEO,” said CQE Steering Committee member Supratik Guha, a professor at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) and senior advisor to Argonne Physical Sciences and Engineering. “His national lab, consulting, and industry background, and his experience in the quantum information technology area, will be of immense value to CQE.”
Most recently, Fluitt served as senior director for technology partnerships for quantum computing company PsiQuantum, the anchor tenant of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP). He led the company’s scientific partnerships with universities, national laboratories, and consortia, advancing collaborative research and workforce development across the Midwest.
"Aaron has an exceptional ability to bring people together across academia, industry, and national labs to tackle the grand challenges we face in quantum science and technology today,” said CQE Steering Committee member Elizabeth Goldschmidt, associate professor of physics and the director of the Illinois Quantum Information Science and Technology Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “I look forward to working with him as we continue to build and grow the Midwest quantum ecosystem.”
Fluitt was one of the inaugural doctoral graduates of what is today UChicago PME. He also holds a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a bachelor’s degree with highest distinction from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, both in chemical engineering. In October, Crain’s Chicago Business named him to its “40 Under 40” list in the class of 2026.
Fluitt describes collaborative, multidisciplinary science as the thread running through his career.
“Throughout my career, I’ve been drawn to problems at the interfaces where disciplines, institutions, and sectors meet, and where new teams and capabilities are needed to make progress,” Fluitt said. “Solving these problems together requires a shared vision and strong relationships. It’s rewarding to bring people together to accomplish things beyond what they could have done separately.”
Leveraging 'collective talent, capability, and commitment'
Fluitt joins the CQE at a pivotal moment, as quantum technologies advance toward broader scientific and commercial utility and the Quantum Prairie emerges as a globally recognized quantum innovation zone. As research discoveries transition to real-world application, there are escalating needs for quantum supply chain and workforce scale-up, growing demands for specialized facilities, and delicate conversations about how to balance national security with the open collaboration that innovation requires — all issues that the CQE and its community are working to address.
In July, the CQE-led Bloch Quantum Tech Hub secured $55 million in federal, state, and industry support to strengthen the domestic quantum manufacturing supply chain. Anchored by a $30 million award from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the Tech Hub is helping quantum companies transition to advanced manufacturing, equipping existing manufacturers with the tools and customer relationships to join the quantum supply chain, and building a 60,000-square-foot supplier facility at the IQMP.
The CQE is educating and training the quantum workforce by coordinating internships, fellowships, hands-on workshops, professional development opportunities, and more, often in partnership with universities, colleges, national labs, and companies. The CQE also leads the Midwest’s unified quantum workforce development strategy, which is aimed at meeting regional demand that could reach 191,000 quantum jobs by 2035.
The CQE also launched the Quantum Law Navigator™, a 100-page report and thought leadership initiative that maps the US policy, legal, and regulatory landscape shaping the quantum sector and provides practical analysis aimed at helping organizations translate complex rules into actionable strategy.
"Under Kate’s leadership, the CQE team built an extraordinary foundation over the past eight years. I’m excited to build on that in the next phase,” Fluitt said. “We have opportunities ahead to catalyze ambitious new research programs, expand education and training, and accelerate the transition of promising science and technology into commercial applications — all here in the Midwest. The CQE’s enduring strength is the collective talent, capability, and commitment of its members and partners, and I look forward to pursuing these opportunities together with them.”