IonQ announced the launch of the first quantum computing manufacturing plant in the United States, situated in Bothell, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. Alongside this declaration, the company disclosed an expansion of its Seattle facilities, increasing its space from 65,000 square feet to a remarkable 105,000 square feet.
The facility will be IonQ’s second quantum data center providing cloud access to IonQ customers, and the primary quantum computing production engineering location in the U.S. It will also house the company’s expanding R&D and manufacturing teams, including the teams focused on the upcoming rollout of the next-generation IonQ Forte Enterprise and IonQ Tempo systems.
This is the first factory in the U.S. that will manufacture quantum computers that are replicable and deployable in customers’ data centers. The new quantum factory solidifies the Pacific Northwest as a hub for technology innovation and manufacturing and plans to create thousands of new jobs and opportunities over the coming years, leveraging the skilled workforce already present in the region.
“The Seattle facility represents a tangible realization of IonQ’s commitment to commercializing quantum and getting quantum computers into the hands of customers,” said IonQ CEO Peter Chapman. “IonQ is not just building a manufacturing facility; we’re also investing in the surrounding community drawing talent and thought leaders to Seattle and empowering organizations within the community with innovative quantum capabilities.”
During IonQ’s ribbon-cutting ceremony today, Washington State U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell – a staunch advocate for science and technology research and the lead Senate negotiator of the CHIPS and Science Act in 2022 – praised the company for its commitment to quantum innovation.
“Quantum computing has the potential to be a game changer — it can help us create new drugs and fight disease, turbocharge clean energy alternatives, and improve food production,” Sen. Cantwell said. “Quantum computing is blossoming in our region thanks to an ideal ecosystem of world-class universities, businesses, laboratories, and talented workers.”
Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of business and technical achievements for IonQ, including achieving #AQ35 one year ahead of schedule and securing a partnership expansion with Amazon Braket to bring IonQ Forte to the Amazon Braket Direct Program.
The company currently works with global corporations such as Hyundai Motor Company, Airbus, and GE Research to apply quantum computing to complex challenges within their businesses. Furthermore, the company has entered into a partnership agreement with QuantumBasel to install two quantum systems in Basel, Switzerland. IonQ has also secured a $25.5 million project with the United States Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) to implement two next-generation quantum computing systems at their facilities in Rome, New York.
In addition to on premises solutions, IonQ’s quantum systems are available on all three major cloud providers: Amazon Braket, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, as well as through direct API access. Learn more about how you can get started on an IonQ quantum computing system here.
