Colorado Leaders Push for State to Continue Growing as a Quantum Hub to Support Jobs, Innovation & the Economy
DENVER - Today, Governor Jared Polis, Speaker Julie McCluskie, House Majority Leader Monica Duran, House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, House Assistant Majority Leader Rose Pugliese, Senate President Steve Fenberg, Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez, Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, and Senate Assistant Minority Leader Bob Gardner wrote a bipartisan letter to Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo and the Department of Commerce to formalize their strong support for the Elevate Quantum Consortium and its designation by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) as a Regional Technology Hub in Advanced Energy focused on Quantum information science.
Colorado is home to quantum companies including Atom Computing, Quantinuum, Infleqtion, Maybell, and others with Atom Computing putting forward an investment of over $100 million to scale operations in the state.
“We believe Colorado should be designated a Regional Technology Hub for Quantum information science and technology because of both our legacy of leadership in this sector and the promising opportunities that exist in the coming decade that this designation will help unlock. Quantum technologies will revolutionize computing in the next decade. The roots of Colorado’s leadership began with the founding of JILA in 1962, the joint institute between The University of Colorado Boulder and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. At the time, research in Quantum Computing and Sensing was in its nascency. However, with the bold backing of the State of Colorado, the institute seeded a community of quantum researchers that would come to lead not only the country, but the world – culminating in the winning of four Nobel prizes in quantum science that is already translating commercially and positively impacting billions of people,” the leaders wrote to Secretary Raimondo.
“Colorado is an undisputed leader in quantum research and technology translation and this designation will leverage our existing assets to help take Colorado and the Quantum industry to the next level. Data from the Quantum Economic Development Consortium illustrates the combined metro areas of Boulder and Denver as the largest single center of Quantum research in the US. This leadership is underpinned by the broadest local coalition of Quantum Information Technology (QIT) work in the country. Colorado is not just a center of quantum computing – boasting top research institutions, leading cubit startups like Atom Computing and Infleqtion, and global scale-up’s like Quantinuum – but also a particular hotbed of commercially developed quantum sensing and infrastructure work from research groups like NIST, JILA, & CU and startups commercializing Nobel prize-winning technology today,” the leaders wrote to the Secretary of Commerce.
“The State of Colorado has allocated millions of dollars to strengthen the region's quantum capacities. Recently, we approved a $1.5 million grant program administered by CU Boulder's CUbit initiative dedicated to helping startups transition quantum technologies out of the lab. In the past five years alone, we have used more than $10 million in tax incentives and over $1 million in direct cash investment to help local quantum companies thrive, including Atom Computing, Quantinuum, Infleqtion, Maybell, and others,” wrote legislative leaders and Governor.
“Our commitment to quantum is only growing stronger. To help reduce red tape and accelerate these investments, my administration will recommend that QIS be added to Colorado’s list of industries eligible for Advanced Industries Early-Stage Capital and Retention Grants. If the Hub is funded through Phase 2, the undersigned governments intend to devote up to $193 million over the next decade to advancing QIS in the region, more than $100 million of which is authorized under existing programs without new legislative approvals and $110,000 of which is designated for Phase 1. Our region’s quantum ambitions extend beyond our local endeavors. We recently established an agreement with the Government of Finland, signifying a transnational commitment to foster advancements in quantum technology. This partnership underscores our mutual determination to leverage quantum research and innovation to drive economic growth and societal progress,” the Colorado leaders continued.
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