The University of Colorado Boulder knows this well.
In 2019, CU launched the CUbit Quantum Initiative, a coordinated effort between academia, government and the private sector that aims to innovate how the slippery subatomic mechanics of quantum theory have real-life, everyday impacts — things that are beyond just an exponentially faster processor.
And now that quantum initiative has spread out to a new space. Today, January 15, Governor Jared Polis and CUbit leaders will cut the ribbon at a 13,000-square-foot facility in Boulder. The research center was created by CU in conjunction with Colorado State University and the Colorado School of Mines, along with a broad coalition of public and private interests under the umbrella of the nonprofit Elevate Quantum.
"With these new facilities from CU and our R1 universities, we're strengthening the foundation of what is already the world's largest quantum industry cluster," Elevate CEO and Regional Innovation Officer Zachary Yerushalmi says in a statement. "Elevate Quantum could not be more excited to see this vital piece of infrastructure come to life."
The Boulder quantum incubator is just the first part of a triad of campuses that Elevate plans to complete in the next few years, which will include the National Quantum Nanofab facility on the grounds of CU Boulder and the Quantum COmmons technology hub in Arvada.
“Colorado’s new quantum facilities will transform discoveries into real-world applications, creating thousands of jobs and cementing our state as a quantum leader,” says Eve Lieberman, executive director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.
Elevate was designated a quantum innovation hub by the U.S. Economic Development Administration in 2023, which paved the way for $41 million in funding from the Biden-Harris administration. Polis signed Colorado House Bill 1325 in 2024, which granted massive tax breaks to the state's quantum industry, including $74 million for Elevate's new trio of research and development facilities. The governor's push for passage of the bill was aided by fellow Democratic advocates U.S. House Representative Joe Neguse and senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper.
The EDA has stated that its goals for Quantum are:
Constructing open-access quantum labs and fabs to enable rapid prototyping and low-volume manufacturing of critical quantum technologies.
Providing inclusive workforce development programming across colleges, universities and companies to ensure a skilled and diverse talent pool in the region.
Coordinating the consortium’s overall strategy, stakeholder and investor engagement and executive management to execute the tech hub’s vision.
Like so many emerging technologies, quantum tech is rapidly shifting from the realm of science fiction to the sphere of real-world impact. It promises to make smart devices even smarter and AI even more intelligent, but there are plenty of applications for health care, such as illness-detecting devices, more accurate diagnoses, drug discovery and data security. Quantum tech is also playing a role in the transformation of national defense and communication.
Colorado has long been positioned at the tip of the quantum spear. The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder has been a key player in the development of quantum information science since the early ’90s. And CU Boulder has produced no fewer than four Nobel Prizes in the field of quantum research: Thomas Cech in 1989, John L. Hall in 2005, Carl Wieman and Eric Cornell in 2001 and David J. Wineland in 2012.
“Quantum science holds transformative potential,” says CU Boulder Chancellor Justin Schwartz. “This new facility accelerates discoveries from the lab to market, strengthening Colorado’s leadership in this dynamic field.”
