NEW MEXICO – New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a coalition representing New Mexico and Colorado has received US$41 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to advance the region’s quantum information technology sector as one of twelve selected Tech Hubs across the country.
The Elevate Quantum Tech Hub, led by Elevate Quantum, will combine US$41 million from the EDA’s Tech Hubs Program with matching funds from Colorado (US$74 million) and New Mexico (US$10 million) to enable a total of more than US$125 million in funding to solidify the Mountain West as a world leader in quantum information technology (QIT).
“This is a great opportunity for New Mexico as a rapidly expanding, cutting-edge research and technology center,” said Governor Lujan Grisham.
According to Luján, quantum information is exactly the type of industry they are looking to build and expand in New Mexico, so he thanked partners in Colorado, industry leaders in New Mexico and the entire Elevate Quantum team for the historic announcement that makes the Mountain West the nation’s only quantum technology center.
Leveraging regional expertise and assets, including leading national laboratories, the Elevate Quantum Tech Hub will build on existing relationships between the regional research community and the private sector to unlock transformative technologies needed to bring quantum-based products to market.
Elevate Quantum Tech Hub aims to strengthen the information and communication technology (QIT) sector in the Western Mountains region by focusing on commercial applications in the fields of sensing, computing, networking and hardware.
In addition, the consortium aims to accelerate the transition from lab to market by establishing quantum labs and manufacturing facilities unique in the world, reducing the time and cost of commercializing quantum innovation, reducing barriers to quantum entrepreneurship, and creating a workforce ready to meet the needs of this growing sector.
New Mexico assets played a crucial role in the Elevate Quantum coalition, including the Economic Development Department, the University of New Mexico, Central New Mexico Community College, Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The programmatic deployment of the Tech Hub in New Mexico will consist of two core aspects: a quantum information technology manufacturing facility and laboratory for translational research and commercial deployment, and a comprehensive quantum workforce development that will include a Quantum Learning Laboratory. The Department of Economic Development’s Office of Strategy, Science and Technology plans to work with the Tech Hub to attract and support the growth of the quantum industry in the state.
The Elevate Quantum Tech Hub will catalyze the quantum sector in New Mexico, furthering existing efforts such as the Quantum New Mexico Institute and building the foundation for a thriving high-tech industry in the state – Albuquerque was recently deemed a potential next quantum tech hotbed by Quantum Insider.
