New Quantum Proving Ground coming to a site in Illinois
The State of Illinois commits $500 million in its FY25 budget with $140 million to match federal funds for something named the Quantum Proving Ground.
The State of Illinois and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have announced a partnership called Quantum Proving Ground to explore the potential of quantum computing in Illinois.
The partnership is the result of investments made during the administration of Governor JB Pritzker in quantum research and infrastructure, in addition to the state’s strong local workforce, research, and university partners. The Governor has made investing in quantum computing a major priority for his administration. In addition to the half a billion dollar investment in the quantum campus, Illinois previously invested $200 million to support the Chicago Quantum Exchange, the first state to make that large of a commitment.
According to the Memorandum of Agreement signed by the State and DARPA, the Illinois’ quantum campus will be the site for a new Quantum Proving Ground program, where quantum computing prototypes will be tested and evaluated as part of DARPA’s new Quantum Benchmarking Initiative. Governor Pritzker’s FY25 budget allocated $500 million in state investment to help fund quantum research and build a campus. Illinois will commit $140 million in matching funds for the Quantum Proving Ground. 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 facility will include shared cryo facilities, equipment labs, and spaces for both private companies and Illinois’ research universities to collaborate and research. Companies with competing technologies across the industry will be able to participate in the DARPA-Illinois Quantum Proving Ground, and those competing for funding will be selected based on performance and results. The campus is projected to generate up to $60 billion in economic impact and create thousands of jobs.
The campus site location will be announced at a later date.
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