Insider Brief
- The Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park and Silicon Catalyst formed a partnership to support quantum startups by providing access to lab space, specialized equipment, and scale-up infrastructure in Illinois.
- Companies in Silicon Catalyst’s accelerator will gain entry to IQMP’s facilities, including the National Quantum Facility with cryogenic and quantum proving-ground capabilities.
- Illinois EDC facilitated the agreement, positioning the state to attract and retain quantum companies as the park develops and its On Ramp program comes online.
PRESS RELEASE — Today, the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) and Silicon Catalyst announced a new partnership to support quantum startups and bring them to Illinois. The Illinois Economic Development Corporation played a key role in facilitating the partnership. Under the agreement, the IQMP – a first-of-its-kind park built for quantum technology scale-up and related quantum and microelectronics research and development – will provide infrastructure including lab space, state-of-the-art equipment and other resources for the quantum companies participating in Silicon Catalyst’s accelerator.
The announcement was made at the Q2B Silicon Valley conference, the eighth annual conference connecting the international quantum computing ecosystems.
James Lougheed, Silicon Catalyst Managing Partner, Strategic Initiatives, said, “The growth of quantum technologies is accelerating globally, and Silicon Catalyst is growing to support the next generation of quantum innovators. With the addition of new quantum in-kind-partners (IKPs), our program now brings together world-class partners, specialized tooling, and deep expertise across quantum computing, communications, and sensing. Access to IQMP’s infrastructure — especially its advanced scale-up and cryogenic facilities — gives our startups exactly the environment they need to build, validate, and commercialize breakthrough quantum systems. This partnership strengthens our ability to support quantum companies, and we’re excited to work alongside the IQMP team to help these founders grow and succeed in the United States and on the global stage.”
Silicon Catalyst is the only accelerator focused on the global semiconductor industry, including Chips, Chiplets, Materials, IP and Silicon fabrication-based Photonics, MEMS, Sensors, Life Science and Quantum. It has a global footprint, including entities in the UK, the EU, Israel, Japan and Australia. This partnership comes at an opportune time, with the announcement of Chip Start AU in Australia, which is poised to be a global epicenter for quantum start up innovation.
“Silicon Catalyst has an impressive track record of engaging semiconductor companies across the globe, and we are thrilled to be partnering with them to support their quantum-focused program,” said IQMP CEO Harley Johnson, PhD. “The Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park is proud to be the provider of infrastructure for these participating startups. We’re confident that once these companies access the state-of-the-art facilities at the IQMP and our state’s broader quantum ecosystem, they’ll make the decision to stay here and continue to grow their businesses.”
Companies participating in Silicon Catalyst’s program will be able to access facilities and resources at the IQMP’s state-of-the-art National Quantum Facility (NQF). The NQF will be an advanced quantum scale-up facility featuring a dedicated cryogenic plant and will support a diverse ecosystem of quantum technology enterprises – from early-stage startups like those participating in Silicon Catalyst, to established companies and research institutions. The NQF will also be the home of the Illinois-DARPA Quantum Proving Ground.
“Illinois EDC is proud to have helped unite IQMP and Silicon Catalyst in this innovative partnership to support early-stage quantum companies,” said Illinois EDC President and CEO Christy George. “In all industries, but especially nascent, emerging ones like quantum computing, collaboration is key to driving progress. We look forward to supporting the companies that benefit from this partnership in the years to come.”
Illinois EDC Chief Quantum Officer Dr. Preeti Chalsani, who also serves as IQMP’s business development lead, will share IQMP’s success story on Thursday, December 11, at Q2B Silicon Valley.
While the campus is under development, infrastructure for participating companies will be provided at the IQMP’s On Ramp, a program designed to allow companies who will ultimately be located at the IQMP to enter and leverage the Chicago and Illinois quantum ecosystem by operating out of a local innovation facility.
The IQMP, which is designed to support the full ecosystem of companies, researchers, suppliers, end users and other partners working to facilitate the development and commercialization of quantum technologies, including the world’s first utility-scale computers, broke ground in fall 2025.
