11/14/2023
Chicago is emerging as a quantum tech hub: "I'm motivated by the opportunity to improve people's lives," University of Illinois physics professor Virginia Lorenz tells Axios. "Especially in communities that tend not to get the access to new technology."
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U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with leadership from the Chicago Quantum Exchange, which included two Illinois Physics professors, Virginia "Gina" Lorenz and Brian DeMarco, to discuss The Bloch, one of Illinois’s two programs recently designated by the U.S. Economic Development Administration as a Tech Hub, which is now eligible to apply for between $40-$75 million in CHIPS and Science Act funding to help Chicagoland remain at the cutting edge of technological innovation. Duckworth and Chicago Quantum Exchange leaders, along with Innovate Illinois, also discussed Illinois’s robust quantum ecosystem and toured EeroQ, a quantum computing chip developer producing next-generation technology in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood. Photos from today’s meeting are available on the Senator’s website, and below.
“The Bloch is at the forefront of our state’s quantum revolution and is prime example of the kinds of projects that will bring Illinois innovation, investment and job creation,” Duckworth said. “Coordination across all levels of government is key to maximizing these generational investments, and I’m proud to have worked closely with Illinois to successfully advocate for our state to win two Tech Hub designations. I was proud to help pass the CHIPS and Science Act last year, but I’m thrilled Illinois is making it clear that we are ready to compete and have the projects and innovation ready to compete for the law’s new investments right here to bring our state, nation and world into the future.”
“Our state’s leadership in quantum is poised to address critical needs and pave the way for groundbreaking advancements,” stated Brad Henderson, CEO of P33. “Innovate Illinois will lead the country beyond silicon and into a new paradigm of advanced computing materials and architectures.”
Duckworth, along with U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker championed The Bloch and advocated fiercely for its selection, along with Illinois’s other designee, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing program. The Tech Hubs program was authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act and will directly invest in high-potential regions across the country in an effort to transform them into globally competitive innovation centers. A total of 31 Tech Hubs were selected from 198 applications from regional consortia that include industry, academia, state and local governments, economic development organizations and labor and workforce partners.
Led by the Chicago Quantum Exchange, The Bloch will work to accelerate the regional adoption of quantum information science and technology (QIST) by building a framework that can then be used across a variety of industries. The Bloch has the potential to generate an estimated $8.7 billion in annual economic output and create up to 8,000 high paying jobs by 2035. The State of Illinois has pledged their commitment as a consortium member of this application and has already committed $200 million to build research infrastructure in Illinois.