IBM has brought its most advanced quantum computer to Chicago, giving Illinois researchers and companies access to the technology as the state builds a major quantum research and development center.
The IBM Quantum System Two is now in operation at Hyde Park Labs, where it is hosted by the University of Chicago. The system is powered by IBM Quantum Nighthawk, which the company describes as its most powerful quantum processor to date.
The installation, unveiled Nov. 6, marks IBM’s first deployment of quantum computers in Illinois. The machine will eventually be moved to the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP), a technology campus currently under construction in Chicago.
The computer will serve as the anchor system of the National Quantum Algorithm Center (NQAC), founded in 2024 by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, with IBM as a lead member. The center brings together companies, universities and research institutions to develop algorithms and applications that can scale with advances in quantum hardware.
New system expands research
IBM says the system is designed to help organizations across Illinois explore computationally difficult problems using quantum computers.
Projects already underway include efforts to develop quantum-based approaches to drug development. Deloitte and pharmaceutical company AbbVie are working on molecular simulation methods as part of the NQAC Grand Challenges program with IBM and Northwestern University.
Another collaboration includes the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The partners are investigating whether quantum optimization algorithms could help make power grids more efficient.
Fermilab also works with IBM on high-energy physics research and distributed quantum computing technologies.
The University of Chicago and IBM have separately reported a demonstration of quantum advantage over leading classical methods using a guaranteed correctness approach. The work highlights the research activities already taking place across the state’s quantum ecosystem.
Chicago is building a quantum center
The launch of System Two is part of a broader effort to position Illinois as a center for quantum technology and microelectronics. Once completed, IQMP will host research institutions and companies working on the development and commercialization of technologies in these areas.
IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said the effort will help organizations across Illinois and beyond achieve scientifically useful results. The company also expects the system to support the development of new algorithms and applications with potential real-world uses.
The investment is also linked to personnel development. IBM previously announced plans to establish its FutureNow Chicago Center at IQMP in collaboration with the City Colleges of Chicago. The initiative is expected to create 750 jobs in areas such as quantum computing, cybersecurity and data science in the region.
Quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits, to process information according to the principles of quantum mechanics. Unlike traditional bits, which represent either zero or one, qubits can exist in combinations of states. This allows quantum systems to solve certain problems in ways that may be difficult for classical computers.
However, practical applications remain an active area of research, and quantum machines are not a replacement for traditional computers.
For now, IBM’s deployment in Chicago gives researchers and industry partners direct access to the latest quantum hardware as they work to identify problems where the technology can provide an advantage.
