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IBM installs first quantum computer in Illinois at Hyde Park Labs

IBM installs first quantum computer in Illinois at Hyde Park Labs

New Capabilities Chicago, IL local

Quantum System Two, powered by a 120-qubit Nighthawk r2 processor, anchors Chicago's algorithm center while IBM works out when to move it to the South Side campus.

5 days ago: IBM unveils Quantum System Two at Hyde Park Labs

Overview

Updated 2 days ago

IBM's first quantum computer in Illinois is running behind street-level windows at Hyde Park Labs on Chicago's South Side. The machine, an IBM Quantum System Two with a 120-qubit Nighthawk r2 processor and 218 tunable couplers, anchors the National Quantum Algorithm Center. IBM has not said when it will move to the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park.

Illinois put $25 million into the installation, and IBM plans a delivery center at the park with 750 jobs. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, IBM and AMD also launched a co-design platform that pairs a 120-qubit Nighthawk computer with ORNL's Umbra supercomputer to test ways to correct errors in quantum calculations.

Why it matters

A working quantum computer in Chicago gives local researchers a machine to test algorithms, but it has not yet shown a commercial advantage.

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Key Indicators

120
Qubits in IBM Nighthawk chip
The Nighthawk r2 processor connects 120 qubits through 218 tunable couplers in a square-lattice design.
218
Tunable couplers
IBM says the denser connectivity lets users run more complex circuits than its previous processor.
$25M
State grant for installation
Illinois granted the money to the University of Illinois Board of Trustees on behalf of IQMP.
$500M
State investment in IQMP
Funding for the quantum campus on the former U.S. Steel South Works site.
750
FutureNow Chicago jobs
IBM plans a delivery center at IQMP with a City Colleges apprenticeship pipeline.

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People Involved

J.B. Pritzker
J.B. Pritzker
Governor of Illinois
In office
 Arvind Krishna
Arvind Krishna
Chairman and CEO of IBM
In office
HJ
Harley Johnson
CEO of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park
In office
 Paul Alivisatos
Paul Alivisatos
President of the University of Chicago
In office
NM
Nadya Mason
Vice President for Research at the University of Chicago
In office

Organizations Involved

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)
Cloud provider
Deployed the Quantum System Two in Chicago

IBM built and deployed the Quantum System Two, its first quantum computer in Illinois.
University of Chicago
University of Chicago
Private research university
Hosts the IBM Quantum System Two at Hyde Park Labs

UChicago hosts the IBM Quantum System Two at Hyde Park Labs and is a core partner in the state's quantum effort.
IQ
Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park
State-backed quantum campus
Under construction; future home of the IBM system

IQMP is a planned quantum and microelectronics campus on the former U.S. Steel South Works site on Chicago's Southeast Side.
NQ
National Quantum Algorithm Center
Research center
Anchored by the IBM system at Hyde Park Labs

NQAC brings universities, national labs, startups and companies together to develop quantum algorithms.
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
State government agency
Supported the $25 million installation grant

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity administers state economic development programs and supported the quantum installation.

Timeline

2023 November 2026

7 events Latest: 5 days ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. IBM unveils Quantum System Two at Hyde Park Labs

    Latest Deployment

    The 120-qubit Nighthawk-powered system becomes IBM's first quantum computer in Illinois.

  2. ORNL, IBM and AMD launch quantum error-correction platform

    Research

    The platform pairs a 120-qubit IBM Nighthawk computer with ORNL's Umbra supercomputer to test error-correction methods.

  3. IBM and UChicago report quantum advantage demonstration

    Research

    Researchers say the quantum computer finished a task in about 15 minutes that challenged classical methods.

  4. IBM announces FutureNow Chicago at IQMP

    Economic development

    The delivery center is planned to bring 750 jobs and a City Colleges apprenticeship program.

  5. Hyde Park Labs opens on Chicago's South Side

    Infrastructure

    The research building at 5207 S. Harper Ave. becomes home to UChicago science programs.

  6. Illinois establishes National Quantum Algorithm Center

    Policy

    Governor Pritzker announces NQAC with IBM as anchor partner.

  7. UChicago, IBM and University of Tokyo launch 10-year quantum initiative

    Partnership

    The $100 million effort aims to develop blueprints for a 100,000-qubit quantum-centric supercomputer.

Scenarios

1

IBM moves Quantum System Two to IQMP by 2028

Possible Resolves by End of 2028

Discussed by: IBM and IQMP project statements

The system is described as an on-ramp installation. Its permanent home is the IQMP campus, which is under construction. A move would mark the park's first anchor quantum system.

2

NQAC partners publish peer-reviewed quantum application using Chicago system by 2027

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: University of Chicago and IBM research announcements

NQAC participants include Deloitte, AbbVie, Northwestern, EPRI and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The center's purpose is to develop algorithms and applications. A peer-reviewed result would show the machine is producing usable science.

3

IQMP construction delays push system move past 2029

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2029

Discussed by: Local construction and campus reporting

The park is being built on a former industrial site. Large construction projects can slip. A delay would keep the system at Hyde Park Labs longer than planned.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

December 1947

Bell Labs transistor (1947)

John Bardeen and Walter Brattain demonstrated the first working transistor at Bell Labs in Murray Hill, New Jersey. The device replaced bulky vacuum tubes and showed how sustained corporate research could create new industries.

Then

Bell Labs licensed the technology, and transistors quickly entered radios and computers.

Now

The semiconductor industry grew from that work, centered on regions with dense research and manufacturing.

Why this matters now

IBM's Chicago system is a shared research tool meant to seed a regional quantum industry, much as early transistor work seeded semiconductors.

1987

SEMATECH (1987)

The U.S. government and 14 semiconductor firms formed SEMATECH in Austin, Texas, to improve manufacturing and counter Japan's chip industry.

Then

The consortium shared research and helped U.S. firms regain competitiveness.

Now

It became a model for government-industry collaboration in precompetitive technology.

Why this matters now

Illinois is using a similar consortium approach, with state money and IBM as anchor, to build a quantum cluster.

1951

Stanford Industrial Park (1951)

Stanford University leased land near its campus to high-tech firms, creating a physical cluster that later became Silicon Valley.

Then

Companies like Hewlett-Packard expanded there, and the park linked university research to industry.

Now

The model showed how proximity between universities and companies can anchor regional tech economies.

Why this matters now

UChicago is hosting IBM's system at Hyde Park Labs and plans a larger campus at IQMP, betting on the same proximity effect.

Sources

(9)
+3
Block Club Chicago IBM Newsroom University of Chicago News IBM Quantum Computing Blog Office of Governor JB Pritzker Crain's Chicago Business EconoTimes QubitWire Quantum Zeitgeist