IonQ and the University of Chicago Sign Landmark Agreement to Establish IonQ Center for Engineering and Science to Accelerate Quantum Research and Commercialization
Partnership marks the first time a production-grade quantum computer and entanglement distribution quantum network has been deployed to a university campus
University of Chicago to partner on broad IonQ quantum research initiative, providing a pipeline to help translate cutting-edge advances into technology that could accelerate IonQ's product and technology portfolio
IonQ (NYSE:IONQ), the world's leading quantum company, today announced a strategic agreement with the University of Chicago to establish the IonQ Center for Engineering and Science on campus and deliver a dedicated next-generation quantum computer and IonQ quantum network. The agreement includes a major research initiative to accelerate the development of novel quantum technology by University of Chicago researchers, ultimately strengthening IonQ's leadership in quantum computing, quantum networking, quantum sensing, and quantum security technology.
The partnership enables IonQ to collaborate directly with one of the nation's top research institutions – where Enrico Fermi developed major contributions for the Manhattan Project – to identify and incubate real-world quantum use cases. Under the agreement, IonQ will deploy a next-generation quantum computer and entanglement distribution quantum network at the university. This will give researchers across disciplines access to IonQ's industry-leading quantum hardware and software tools. Critically, the collaboration includes ongoing support for research with the University of Chicago's leading quantum faculty. The collaboration aims to generate intellectual property that IonQ will use to drive new products, capabilities, and long-term commercial growth.
"This foundational agreement with the University of Chicago will fuel IonQ's innovation engine, marking the first time IonQ's production-grade quantum computer and entanglement distribution quantum network will be deployed on a university campus," said Niccolo de Masi, Chairman and CEO of IonQ. "We're combining our commercial-grade quantum computers with some of the world's leading academic talent to generate innovations with valuable real-world applications. That research will directly benefit IonQ's product roadmap and strengthen our competitive advantage in enterprise and government markets."
"At the University of Chicago, our leadership in quantum science is built on groundbreaking research and powerful collaborations," said President Paul Alivisatos. "This new partnership with IonQ reflects our conviction that foundational discovery and industry can advance the field together. With this support, our faculty and students will be able to reach further—to test bold ideas, accelerate new scientific discoveries and innovation, and help shape the future of the Chicago quantum technology ecosystem."
As part of the initiative, IonQ will install a next-generation quantum computer along with a cutting-edge entanglement-distribution quantum network on campus. IonQ will contribute to the University's construction of a new building on campus, the IonQ Center for Engineering and Science, which will house the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and other university science and technology research areas. Additionally, IonQ is poised to be named a core partner of the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE), based at the University of Chicago, contributing to the direction of the multi-institutional research consortium that includes Argonne and Fermilab national laboratories, the University of Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, and others. Ultimately, the initiative will act as a foundational platform for academic, government, and commercial collaboration.
Research areas include quantum hardware for computing, networking, sensing, and security, and quantum applications for chemistry, materials science, optimization, security, and advanced communication protocols — all areas aligned with IonQ's roadmap of critical quantum technologies.
This agreement builds on IonQ's longstanding commitment to advancing quantum research through academic collaborations. These include IonQ's work with the University of Maryland, where it maintains a dedicated Quantum Research Center; Duke University's advanced multi-qubit gate design and quantum algorithms; and the University of Washington's simulation of the matter-antimatter imbalance in space.
About IonQ
IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:IONQ) is the world's leading quantum company delivering solutions to solve the world's most complex problems. IonQ's newest generation quantum computers, IonQ Tempo and IonQ Forte Enterprise, are the latest in cutting-edge systems that have been helping customers and partners such as Amazon Web Services, AstraZeneca, and NVIDIA achieve 20x performance results. The company achieved 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity, setting a world record in quantum computing performance in 2025.
The company is accelerating its technology roadmap and intends to deliver the world's most powerful quantum computers with 2 million qubits by 2030 to accelerate innovation in drug discovery, materials science, financial modeling, logistics, cybersecurity, and defense. IonQ's advancements in quantum networking position the company as a leader in building the quantum internet.
IonQ has operations in Maryland, Washington, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Tennessee, United Kingdom, Toronto, South Korea, Sweden, and Switzerland. The company's innovative technology and rapid growth were recognized in Fortune Future 50, Newsweek's 2025 Excellence Index 1000, and Forbes' 2025 Most Successful Mid-Cap Companies list. Available through all major cloud providers, IonQ is making quantum more accessible and impactful than ever before. Learn more at IonQ.com.
Note to Investors Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the research to be performed as part of the collaboration between IonQ and the University of Chicago and its impact on IonQ's product roadmap and its competitive advantage in enterprise and government markets. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "pending," "look forward," "accelerate," "anticipate," "expect," "suggest," "plan," "believe," "intend," "estimate," "target," "project," "should," "could," "would," "may," "will," "forecast," "confident" and other similar expressions. These statements are only predictions based on our expectations and projections about future events as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may prove incorrect, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including, among others, those described under the heading "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2025, June 30, 2025 and September 30, 2025 filed with the SEC. New risks emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can management assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement we make. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Except as otherwise required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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