IBM and the U.S. Department of Commerce announced on May 21 a Letter of Intent to build an American quantum chip foundry, aiming to secure the nation’s leadership in quantum technology and support its growing quantum ecosystem. The new initiative will be supported by $1 billion in CHIPS incentives from the Department of Commerce, alongside a $1 billion cash contribution from IBM into a newly established company called Anderon.
The creation of Anderon marks what both parties describe as one of the most significant commitments by the U.S. government to date in quantum research and development. The project is intended to position the United States as a leader in manufacturing most of the world’s quantum wafers, which are expected to drive substantial economic growth and strengthen national security.
Anderon will be headquartered in Albany, New York, operating as a standalone company with a state-of-the-art 300-millimeter wafer foundry dedicated solely to quantum technology. According to IBM, this facility will provide wafer fabrication services for multiple vendors worldwide and serve as an anchor for building out America’s national ecosystem for scalable quantum technologies.
Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said, “With today’s CHIPS Research and Development investments in quantum computing, the Trump administration is leading the world into a new era of American innovation. These strategic quantum technology investments will build on our domestic industry, creating thousands of high-paying American jobs while advancing American quantum capabilities.”
Bill Frauenhofer, Executive Director of Semiconductor Investment and Innovation at the Department of Commerce said: “The Department of Commerce’s incentives strengthen and accelerate U.S. quantum leadership and technological resilience. Quantum computing has significant implications for national defense, advanced materials and biopharmaceutical discovery, financial modeling and energy systems.”
Arvind Krishna, Chairman and CEO of IBM said: “IBM has pioneered quantum computing for decades. Our work in silicon wafer fabrication has been a key to IBM’s success and will be critical to enable a broader quantum technology landscape that will reshape global innovation and economic competitiveness. With the support of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Anderon will be well-positioned to fuel America’s fast-growing quantum technology industry.”
The launch is subject to negotiation between IBM and federal officials regarding definitive agreements under their letter of intent.
