US Defense Department, State of Illinois announce multimillion-dollar quantum testing program

The US Department of Defense and the State of Illinois will develop a national proving ground for quantum technologies in the Chicago region, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced Tuesday morning.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) — a Defense Department agency that invests in breakthrough technologies for national security — and the State of Illinois are partnering to test quantum technology prototypes on the state’s soon-to-be-built quantum campus, leveraging Illinois’ recent $500 million quantum budget outlay and the region’s deep bench of world-leading scientists to strengthen national security. The location of the campus, which will include shared cryogenic facilities, equipment labs, and research spaces for both private companies and universities, has not yet been announced.

“The future of quantum is here, and it’s in Illinois,” Pritzker said. “With the support of our federal partners, Illinois’ quantum campus will generate the sort of competitive research that has driven our most important American innovations, all while injecting billions of dollars into our state’s economy and creating hundreds of local jobs.”

Through the groundbreaking DARPA-Illinois Quantum Proving Ground (QPG), the State of Illinois aims to fuel innovation, drive economic growth, and attract leading quantum technology companies to the state. DARPA plans to request proposals from quantum companies through its new Quantum Benchmarking Initiative.

“We urge small and large companies and research institutions across the country who are developing quantum computing hardware to come and work with DARPA and our partners,” said Dr. Joe Altepeter, the DARPA program manager leading the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative. “We just issued a special notice on the federal government’s SAM.gov website as a heads up that the QBI solicitation is coming soon. Any company or institution that thinks they can prove they are on the path to industrial quantum, we want to hear from you.” ​

Illinois will commit $140 million in co-investment for the Quantum Proving Ground and DARPA’s level of investment in the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative will be determined by the quality of proposals, evaluation results, and availability of federal funding. The campus is projected to generate up to $60 billion in economic impact and create thousands of jobs.

“Illinois has long held the spirit of invention, innovation, and influence. The quantum computing campus further establishes Illinois as a global hub for technology and innovation,” said Senator Dick Durbin, who was among state and federal leaders at a morning news conference. “Through the combined efforts of Illinois’ national labs, world-class universities, industry leaders, and now our growing partnership with the Department of Defense with this Quantum Proving Ground, our state will continue to champion technologies and industries of the future.” 

Chicagoland’s place at the forefront of quantum innovation was driven in part by the deep partnerships the Chicago Quantum Exchange has fostered among academia, government, and industry in the region.

“Our collection of top talent, long history of cross-sector collaboration, and unparalleled levels of government support for quantum technologies make the Chicago region an ideal location for an initiative of this magnitude,” said David Awschalom, the Liew Family Professor of Molecular Engineering and Physics at the University of Chicago and the director of the Chicago Quantum Exchange. “With this commitment, DARPA is investing not only in our region but in the security of our nation.”

The Chicago region has already attracted more than $1 billion in government investment in recent years, including the half billion FY2025 Illinois budget allocation and a previously announced $200 million for quantum technology facilities. In addition, Pritzker recently announced a business development package that includes quantum tax incentives. The Chicago area also received $280 million for four of the 10 National Quantum Initiative Act research centers, more than any other region. The CQE community has also attracted significant corporate investment, including $100 million from IBM and $50 million from Google to the University of Chicago and University of Tokyo in two separate plans to advance quantum computing. 

The CQE, which is based at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, includes seven member institutions — the University of Chicago, the US 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 about 50 corporate, international, nonprofit, and regional partners. The CQE also leads two projects aimed at strengthening the regional quantum ecosystem: The Bloch Quantum Tech Hub and the NSF Engine Development Award: Advancing quantum technologies in the Midwest.

The CQE and The Bloch Quantum are already at work on quantum technology projects aimed at bolstering national security. The FBI’s Chicago office and The Bloch recently partnered to secure the region’s quantum technology assets, holding a first-of-its-kind symposium in May to build communication channels between law enforcement and technology developers — an effort aimed at creating a national model for cooperation between the quantum ecosystem and the government agencies that protect the nation and its assets. The Bloch community is also rallying quantum technologists and the financial sector to develop quantum technology solutions to financial fraud, a pressing challenge with national security implications.

The State of Illinois invites stakeholders, industry leaders, and researchers to express interest in the QPG and provide insights to this initiative by participating in a seven-minute survey.