Insider Brief:
- The Healey-Driscoll administration has awarded nearly $5 million to establish a Quantum Computing Complex at the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC) in Holyoke, combined with $11 million from QuEra Computing for a two-year, $16 million-total project to deploy a neutral atom quantum computer.
- The complex will support open-access research, quantum hardware innovation, and training opportunities, hoping to encourage a local quantum industry in Western Massachusetts and drive advancements in fields such as biomedical research and financial services.
- With additional support from QuEra and other stakeholders, the Quantum Computing Complex will strengthen Massachusetts’ position as a leader in quantum technology, attracting global talent and creating economic opportunities.
PRESS RELEASE — The Healey-Driscoll administration has awarded $4,994,520 to establish a Quantum Computing Complex at the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC) in Holyoke. The MGHPCC will work with their industry partner for this grant, QuEra Computing Inc., on a two-year project to install and deploy a state-of-the-art neutral atom quantum computer.
The complex will facilitate open access research and application development across the state, allow for quantum hardware innovation, and provide hands on training and internship opportunities for students.
“Massachusetts is breaking new ground as the first state in the nation to fund and install this novel quantum computing complex at a High-Performance Computing Center,” said Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao. “This project will catalyze the growth of a local quantum industry in Western Massachusetts, create new career paths in the industry, and drive innovation across several sectors including biomedical research and financial services.”
“This pioneering investment will enable researchers from across the MGHPCC’s university partners to gain access and leverage the power of quantum for work on algorithms and the application advances that will propel quantum computing within our lifetimes,” said Innovation Institute Director Pat Larkin. “Not only can we expect breakthrough applications that have the potential to transform industries, but this user-driven innovation on the software side will drive change and innovation on the hardware systems necessary to scale quantum computing.”
The two-year project totaling $16,000,000 is funded in part by $11,000,000 in matching funds from QuEra. MGHPCC is well positioned to manage access to the Quera System based on its experience as a contributor to national computing infrastructure initiatives such as ACCESS, the National Research Platform, and the Open OnDemand platform. The New England Research Cloud, a classical computing system that operates within the MassOpen Cloud Alliance (MOC Alliance), will make the quantum computer accessible to academic researchers in the open-source community.
The announcement was made at the Josephine A. Fiorentino Community Center in Boston and was followed by a roundtable discussion with business leaders, government officials and academics on how best to advance the quantum ecosystem in the state.
The Innovation Institute has previously made major investments in quantum facilities at colleges and universities across Massachusetts including UMass Boston, Western New England University and Northeastern University. Last year, the Innovation Institute sponsored Quantum Massachusetts, an international quantum conference in Boston. The conference followed the release of a Quantum Computing Ecosystem Study, which identified Massachusetts as a “global hub” for quantum computing.
