About 950 participants from around the world attended the Chicago Quantum Summit, held in downtown Chicago and online from November 3-4. The event emphasized that progress in quantum technology will depend on collaboration across sectors, companies, and countries.
The summit brought together quantum computing competitors to discuss interoperability, while leaders from various nations addressed immigration pathways with legal experts. Banking and quantum technology representatives also explored how advances in quantum could affect financial systems. Attendees included startup founders, early-career researchers, government officials, university leaders, and CEOs from at least 16 countries.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce spoke about a shared vision for quantum leadership based on public investment and private innovation. On the second day of the summit, Darío Gil, undersecretary for science at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), announced $625 million in renewed funding for five DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Centers. Two of these centers are located in the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE) region: the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center led by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and Q-NEXT led by Argonne National Laboratory.
“The goals we have set will not be realized by any single lab or single investigator or even a single company,” said Gil during his announcement. “Though efforts from individual research groups are vitally important and will always have a central role to play in the DOE mission and QIS program, building a new capability for science requires partnering across fields, institutions and sectors.”
The summit was hosted by CQE—a hub connecting universities, national labs, and industry partners to advance quantum technology—based at the University of Chicago. David Awschalom, CQE director and professor at UChicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering as well as senior scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, commented on the collaborative spirit present: “The cooperative spirit and shared purpose shaping the future of this transformative sector were on full display at the 2025 Chicago Quantum Summit.”
He added: “The enthusiasm for this mission was evident in the conversations that happened in packed hallways, in the depth of discussion that unfolded during sessions and in the breadth of engagement we saw from nearly every part of the ecosystem... This dedication is the key to fueling our sector’s advance and turning discovery into real-world application.”
Twelve winners of the 2025 Boeing Quantum Creators Prize were recognized during the summit as rising stars in quantum research. More than 75 undergraduate, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers presented their work at an annual poster session supported by Canada’s Consulate General; five presenters received awards.
Recent regional developments highlighted include Bluefors establishing two cryogenic facilities in Chicago; Hyde Park Labs opening on Chicago’s South Side; groundbreaking at Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park; and a new initiative between University of Chicago and IonQ—set to become CQE’s third core partner—announced shortly after the summit.
UChicago President Paul Alivisatos remarked: “This is the eighth year of this summit, and at each one we felt a milestone change in what’s happening in the field... And with each one of those milestone changes, the ecosystem here has become deeper, broader and more interconnected.”
Summit discussions reflected a shift from questioning if quantum technologies would reshape industries to considering when—and how—that transformation would occur. Rajeeb Hazra, CEO of Quantinuum stated: “There's still glass-half-empty, half-full perspectives but it is no longer a question of ‘if quantum.’ It has become a question of ‘when quantum.’ That is a very important transition for this technology base to hit.” Cathy Foley observed that quantum has evolved beyond being just scientific research into an industry with developing standards and global supply chains.
Panels covered commercialization trends such as changing customer profiles noted by Scott Yano (Lake Shore Cryotronics): “It feels like the world is moving faster than it ever has...and we need to keep up.” Legal frameworks were also discussed with release of CQE’s Quantum Law Navigator report aimed at helping innovators navigate complex technical-legal landscapes.
Governor Pritzker commented: “The Quantum Law Navigator will help innovators turn complexity into opportunity... This effort underscores kind leadership that keeps Illinois at center global innovation.” The navigator identified challenges including national security protection; sustained funding; workforce development; supply chain vulnerabilities.
Immigration law impacts on workforce development were discussed by Stephanie Ashmore (UK Science & Technology Network), Emily Easton (CQE), Jonathan Grode (Green & Spiegel). Grode noted declining approval rates for national interest waivers but highlighted ongoing visa options for top researchers: “But for those that are best ... there are still very clear pathways like J1 visa. It just takes bit more pragmatism.”
Regional growth was addressed by Governor Pritzker who said: “There's really an extraordinary transformation happening here ... It's result deliberate choices ... unique convergence resources ... We're talking about entire industrial ecosystem emerging around quantum technology.” Partnership opportunities within Illinois’ diverse industry base were highlighted by Preeti Chalsani (Illinois Economic Development Corporation).