IonQ recently announced it will be enhancing its research and development infrastructure in Boulder, Colorado. This infrastructure will house state-of-the-art Quantum Computing R&D and semiconductor chip-testing facilities to develop and refine technologies for future generations of the company’s quantum computing systems. 

The new laboratories will span 22,000 square feet, of which two floors will be outfitted within a 9.3-acre Class A research and innovation campus. These new laboratories will house the first fully installed quantum computer in the latter half of this year. It will also enable IonQ to design, test, and iterate on new generations of its semiconductor ion trap chips.

IonQ was founded in 2015 by Dr. Chris Monroe and Dr. Jungsang Kim. It is headquartered in College Park, Maryland, and has operations in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Washington, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

The company’s major focus is on bringing trapped-ion quantum computing out of the lab and into real-world applications. It was funded by the global venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates. Its main areas of expertise are quantum computing, quantum networking, and quantum sensing. IonQ went public on October 1, 2021.

It has created 5 generations of quantum computers since 2019. Its latest 5th Gen quantum computer, named IonQ Tempo, has a 100 Qubit computing capacity. As per the company’s technology roadmap, IonQ intends to release a 256 Qubit system in 2026 and a 10,000- 2 million-qubit computing system by 2027-2030.

Boulder, Colorado an ideal location

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the upcoming R&D facility, Chris Ballance, IonQ’s President of Quantum Computing, highlighted the company’s approach to building trapped-ion quantum computers using electronics rather than lasers, enabling mass manufacturability via the standard semiconductor supply chain. 

Also present at the ceremony, City of Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett said that IonQ’s decision to locate this facility in Boulder reflects the city’s commitment to building the infrastructure and innovation ecosystem needed to support emerging industries like quantum technology,” said. Through city and state incentives and initiatives like the CHIPS Zone Program, we are continuing to build on the conditions that make Boulder an ideal place for innovative companies to thrive.

CHIPS Zone program

Three commercial areas in Boulder have been designated as a CHIPS Zone. This enables local semiconductor manufacturers to access state and federal tax incentives. The zone includes areas in Gunbarrel, East Boulder, and Central Boulder, as shown in the maps below.

CHIPS Zones were created as part of the federal CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives for Producing Semiconductors) and Science Act to attract and strengthen domestic chip production and enhance supply chain resilience.

Quantum computing market

According to McKinsey & Company, Quantum Insider, and Qureca, the global economic value of quantum computing is estimated to reach $1-3 trillion by 2035. By 2028, global quantum computing revenue is estimated to grow to $3-4 billion. Currently, the total announced public funding for quantum is estimated to be around $55 billion. Some of the end markets include cybersecurity, energy, logistics, defense, life sciences, and finance.