Gov. Pritzker Remarks on Illinois’ Quantum Investments on Global Stage (Tysons, VA) – Gov. JB Pritzker pitched Illinois as the future capital of quantum technology Thursday while addressing the 2025 Quantum World Congress, a gathering of scientists, executives, and policymakers shaping the next wave of innovation.
In his keynote remarks, Pritzker pointed to Illinois’ multi-billion-dollar push into quantum research, calling the field a transformative force that could redefine industries from medicine to cybersecurity.
“Quantum has the potential to solve humanity’s greatest challenges, create billions in economic value, and fundamentally change society,” Pritzker told attendees. “Events like this are where we lay the foundation for that future together.”
The governor used the international forum not only to tout Illinois’ progress but also to extend an invitation to global startups and companies to bring their operations to the state. He also met privately with executives from leading quantum firms to discuss workforce training, supply chain needs, and new opportunities for collaboration.
Illinois has invested heavily to position itself as a quantum leader, including $500 million to launch the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park and $200 million for the Chicago Quantum Exchange. The state’s quantum campus has already drawn major tenants such as IBM, DARPA, PsiQuantum, Infleqtion, and Diraq. IBM’s latest modular quantum computer, the “Quantum System Two,” will anchor the National Quantum Algorithm Center at the site.
Those efforts are supported by a coalition of top research institutions, including the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois, Northwestern University, Argonne National Laboratory, and Fermilab.
Pritzker said Illinois’ combination of research power, public investment, and private-sector partnerships puts the state at the forefront of a rapidly expanding field.
“Illinois is building the ecosystem where the quantum era will take shape,” he said. “And we’re doing it not just for our state, but for the world.”
Gov. Pritzker Remarks on Illinois’ Quantum Investments on Global Stage
