IonQ, World’s Leading Quantum Platform Company, Opens New Quantum Computing R&D Lab in Boulder
Support from Governor Polis and Access to Boulder’s Deep Tech Workforce Instrumental in Choice to Bring Advanced Quantum Research to Colorado
Boulder, CO May 12, 2026 – IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) today announced a new laboratory suite in Boulder, Colorado that will house state-of-the-art Quantum Computing R&D and semiconductor chip testing facilities that will be used to develop and refine technologies central to future generations of its leading quantum computing systems.
Presiding over the festivities were company leaders Niccolo de Masi, Chairman and CEO; Dr. Chris Ballance, President of Quantum Computing; Colorado Governor Jared Polis; and Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett. Other prominent figures from the Boulder deep tech and business communities also attended, welcoming this latest addition to the extensive roster of IonQ teams that are already proud contributors to the thriving Colorado tech economy. Senior executives from the Louisville-based IonQ Space Missions and Broomfield-based IonQ Optical Communications product families also joined their IonQ Quantum Computing colleagues for the occasion.
”Quantum is Now!” said company Chairman and CEO Niccolo de Masi in advance of the official ribbon-cutting ceremony. “IonQ is delivering, today, on the promise of using our advanced quantum technologies to solve the world’s most complex problems, aiding communities and businesses in everything from improving lives with faster pharmaceutical development, to enhancing reliability of infrastructure and optimizing manufacturing processes. IonQ is proud to partner with Governor Polis, the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade, and the city of Boulder to continue to drive Colorado’s reputation as a leader in quantum innovation. We’re deeply appreciative of the support Colorado has demonstrated in helping bring our new R&D labs here, and excited to tap into its highly skilled workforce as we continue to grow.”
“Colorado is a quantum hub, and we are only growing. The selection of Boulder as IonQ’s North American expansion, is proof of Colorado’s strong and growing quantum economy, and will bring more high-paying skilled jobs to the region, and attract more businesses to Colorado,” said Governor Polis.
Chris Ballance, IonQ’s President of Quantum Computing, spoke at the ceremony of the company’s pioneering approach to building trapped-ion quantum computers using electronics, instead of lasers – enabling mass manufacturability via the standard semiconductor supply chain. Through this innovation, IonQ has achieved world record quantum performance at a fraction of the cost and complexity of competing approaches, enabling a scalable production technique that will empower the company to accelerate through the milestones on its development roadmap to fault-tolerant quantum computing.
"IonQ’s decision to locate this facility in Boulder reflects the city’s commitment to building the infrastructure and innovation ecosystem needed to support emerging industries like quantum technology,” said City of Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett. “Through city and state incentives and initiatives like the CHIPS Zone Program, we are continuing to build on the conditions that make Boulder an ideal place for innovative companies to thrive. This milestone also highlights the strength of Boulder’s collaborative ecosystem, where universities, government, industry and economic development partners work together to advance our community as a global hub for innovation."
Honored guests participating in the event included Dr. Justin Schwartz, Chancellor, CU Boulder; Erin Kuhn, Consul with the UK Government Office in Denver; and Jessi Olsen, CEO of Elevate Quantum, a leader in accelerating quantum technology commercialization.
The new laboratories – which are planned to have a first quantum computer fully installed later this year – will enable IonQ to design, test, and iterate on new generations of its semiconductor ion trap chips, under the direction of IonQ’s Quantum Computing VP Science David Allcock, who presided over the ribbon cutting ceremony. With the work in Boulder, IonQ expects to continue its long history of innovating and increasing the technological sophistication and performance of its trapped-ion chips and of the quantum computers they power as the company rapidly scales.
The 22,000 square feet of new laboratories that IonQ is outfitting occupy two floors in Boulder 38, a 9.3 acre Class A research and innovation campus developed by Breakthrough Properties and located at the intersection of 38th Street and Arapahoe (street address 1685 38th Street).
About IonQ
IonQ, Inc. [NYSE: IONQ] is the world’s leading quantum platform and merchant supplier - delivering integrated quantum solutions across computing, networking, sensing, and security. IonQ’s newest generation of quantum computers, the IonQ Tempo, is the latest in a line of cutting-edge systems that have been helping customers and partners including Amazon Web Services, AstraZeneca, and NVIDIA achieve 20x performance results and accelerate innovation in drug discovery, materials science, financial modeling, logistics, cybersecurity, and defense. In 2025, the company achieved 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity, setting a world record in quantum computing performance.
Headquartered in College Park, Maryland, IonQ has operations in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Washington, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Our quantum computing services are available through all major cloud providers, while we also meet the needs of networking and sensing customers across land, sea, air, and space. IonQ is making quantum platforms more accessible and impactful than ever before. Learn more at IonQ.com.
IonQ Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the opening and outfitting of the new Boulder R&D laboratory; the anticipated timing of hardware installation and facility milestones; IonQ’s ability to design, test, and iterate on semiconductor ion trap chips; the scalability of electronics-based quantum computing; the potential for IonQ’s technology to solve complex problems across various industries; and IonQ developing a full stack quantum platform spanning computing, networking, and sensing, and advancements relating to the provision of actionable intelligence.
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