IonQ announced a strategic partnership with the University of Chicago to establish the IonQ Center for Engineering and Science, which will host the company’s first production‑grade trapped‑ion quantum computer and an entanglement‑distribution quantum network on the university campus.
The collaboration marks the inaugural deployment of IonQ’s hardware at a university, giving researchers direct access to the company’s 99.99% two‑qubit gate fidelity technology and creating a pipeline for translating academic research into commercial products. IonQ will also contribute to the construction of a new building that will house the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and other research areas.
By joining the Chicago Quantum Exchange—a consortium that includes national labs and other universities—IonQ secures a core partnership position within the national quantum ecosystem, expanding its influence and access to shared resources.
The partnership is expected to accelerate the development of quantum applications in chemistry, materials science, and optimization, and to generate intellectual property that can feed into IonQ’s future product roadmaps. The company’s long‑term goal is to deliver quantum computers with 2 million qubits by 2030, and the university collaboration supports that trajectory.
Niccolo de Masi, IonQ’s Chairman and CEO, said the agreement will fuel IonQ’s innovation engine by combining commercial‑grade quantum computers with academic talent to generate real‑world applications. University President Paul Alivisatos noted that the partnership reflects the university’s conviction that foundational discovery and industry can advance the field together.
Financially, IonQ reported a 113% revenue increase over the last twelve months, although it remains unprofitable. The partnership includes a prospectus supplement filed on November 10 to cover the resale of over 2 million shares by the University of Chicago, following a registration rights agreement signed on November 7.
The collaboration aligns with IonQ’s broader strategy of engaging with leading academic institutions—following prior partnerships with the University of Maryland, Duke University, and the University of Washington—and supports its goal of delivering quantum computers with millions of qubits and quantum‑enhanced AI applications.
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