Hundreds of participants are expected to gather on November 3-4 for the 2025 Chicago Quantum Summit, an event hosted by the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE). The summit aims to bring together quantum researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers to discuss advancements in quantum technology and its potential impact on society.
Keynote speakers at this year’s summit include Cathy Foley, former chief scientist of Australia; Paul Dabbar, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce; and Darío Gil, undersecretary for science in the U.S. Department of Energy. Cathy Foley stated: “The global quantum effort works when we align strengths. Australia brings deep expertise in theory, materials, devices and sensing—Chicago and the broader United States network bring scale, testbeds and supply-chain depth. The CQE shows how to stitch these pieces together.” She added that her focus is on “responsible, interoperable growth that includes standards, benchmarking and workforce development, so industry can invest with confidence and society can trust the outcomes.”
The summit program is organized into three tracks: Frontiers (research), Innovations (commercialization), and Futures (societal impacts). The event follows several recent milestones in quantum information science. For example, a team from MIT and Harvard University developed a 3,000-qubit quantum computing system capable of continuous operation for two hours—a breakthrough detailed in Nature by Harvard Professor Mikhail Lukin who will also speak at the summit.
Industry representatives will also share developments such as Boeing’s first recorded flight using multiple quantum navigation systems instead of GPS. Microsoft announced a new quantum chip based on materials developed at Purdue University. David Awschalom from the University of Chicago commented: “This is a truly exciting time to be working in the quantum technology sector, with advances happening more rapidly than anyone predicted… The summit is the premier opportunity to showcase this concrete progress while connecting global partners to bring these innovations into the real world and shape our quantum future.”
The event will feature presentations from twelve emerging leaders who will receive the Boeing Quantum Creators Prize. There will also be a poster session presented by the Consulate General of Canada in Chicago.
Other recent developments highlighted include Quantinuum’s capital raise; Toshiba’s partnership with Purdue’s School of Nuclear Engineering and Oak Ridge National Laboratory for secure communications; and IBM’s announcement of a National Quantum Algorithm Center in Chicago.
Regional innovation will be discussed as well—such as at Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP), which recently broke ground. IQMP CEO Harley Johnson will participate in discussions along with Preeti Chalsani from Illinois Economic Development Corporation.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said: “Quantum holds immense potential to transform everything from healthcare to national security, and Illinois is proud to be at the forefront of this next frontier… The 2025 Chicago Quantum Summit brings together the brightest minds in research, industry and government to ensure the U.S. leads the way in responsible quantum innovation. Illinois is where collaboration meets ambition, and I look forward to the ideas and progress that will emerge from this summit.”
Sponsors for this year’s event include Boeing, Illinois EDC as lead sponsors; Barnes & Thornburg, IBM, PsiQuantum as presenting sponsors; Applied Materials, Clayco, EY, World Business Chicago as general sponsors; Dirac Labs, One Region and Unisys as coffee break sponsors.