Quantinuum hopes to build on state’s ‘dynamic technology ecosystem and highly skilled workforce’ as it expands into New Mexico

A quantum computing company is expanding into New Mexico.

Quantinuum, based in Colorado, announced the buildout of a research and development facility in the Land of Enchantment in a news release this week. The site will “support ongoing collaborative efforts to advance” the company’s photonics technologies, which are the science and technology behind the generation, control and detection of light.

“As the established leader in quantum computing, Quantinuum has found an ideal partner in New Mexico,” the company’s president and CEO, Rajeeb Hazra, said in a statement. “The state’s dynamic technology ecosystem and highly skilled workforce align perfectly with our strategic goals.”

The company did not mention the amount of money it intends to invest in the local expansion or the amount of workers it would employ at the center. But it did say it plans to open the facility later this year.

The announcement follows a big bet on New Mexico’s quantum capabilities. New Mexico and Colorado were chosen together last year as one of a dozen tech hubs to receive more than $500 million in federal grant funding. The New Mexico-Colorado project, known as the Elevate Quantum Tech Hub, is expected to receive $41 million to focus on quantum information technology.

Quantinuum formed in 2021 following the merger of Cambridge Quantum and Honeywell Quantum Solutions. The company has offices spread across the U.S., United Kingdom, Germany and Japan.

Quantinuum has established relationships with higher education institutions and federal entities, like Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory and the University of New Mexico, where it has showcased the performance of its trapped ion quantum computing hardware. In October, the company and Sandia released a paper measuring error rates of mid-circuit measurements, a critical component in quantum computing.

The company’s New Mexico expansion has garnered the support of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who in her State of the State Address on Tuesday announced the news.

“As new industries like quantum technology emerge on the horizon, we’re making sure they call New Mexico home,” Lujan Grisham said. “Achievements like these are a reminder that here in New Mexico, we don’t just embrace the future; we build it. We’ve always been at the forefront of national challenges, showing up with our trademark innovation and ingenuity.”