IonQ plans to expand in College Park, Maryland, as the state attempts to position itself as a leader in the quantum computing industry.
The firm that that makes products that perform calculations exponentially faster than traditional digital devices said it plans to enlarge its corporate headquarters, located in the University of Maryland's 150-acre Discovery District, to a 100,000-square-foot facility with a data center, laboratories and office space. IonQ also said it intends to double its headquarters workforce to at least 250 people in the Maryland region over the next five years.
An IonQ spokesperson told CoStar News that its headquarters details have not been finalized.
The company's expansion is part of a larger initiative by Maryland officials, the University of Maryland and private and federal entities to generate over $1 billion in investments over the next five years in an effort to establish the state as the heart of the quantum industry.
That would come through a combination of state funds, matching federal grants, private sector investments and philanthropic contributions, the partnership said.
For its part, IonQ President and CEO Peter Chapman said in a statement that the initiative serves to foster “economic growth and job creation in the state.”
Quantum leap
The headquarters upgrade is subject to the enactment of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s fiscal 2026 budget, which could provide a $10 million state investment for the project.
Maryland’s move to jump into the fray of quantum information science and technology follows that of others around the country. In Chicago, for example, Related Midwest is requesting zoning approval to build more than 59 million square feet of quantum computing buildings for what local officials are hoping will be the preeminent facility for the industry.
IonQ itself recently opened a quantum laboratory and data center in Washington state near locations of other technology giants, CoStar reported, as part of its plans to invest $1 billion in the Seattle region over the next decade.
The pace of quantum research and development is going to accelerate, Mitra Azizirad, president and chief operating officer of Microsoft's Strategic Missions and Technologies, said in a blog post last week. She highlighted the need for companies to be “quantum ready."
John Ratcliffe, President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, echoed that sentiment to Congress last week in his nomination hearing.
“Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing will define the future of national security, geopolitical power, and human civilization,” he said in his written testimony.