Partnerships

HQAN builds strategic partnerships with private-sector companies and government labs to accelerate research, strengthen workforce development, and enable technology transfer in quantum information science. These collaborations are central to HQAN’s mission. 

HQAN’s industry partnerships are advancing the science and engineering of scalable quantum networks, memories, sensing, and distributed computing. Together with industry collaborators, we have established fundamental limits and optimal protocols for entanglement purification [1, 2] that now guide the design of future quantum repeaters and networked systems. We have also delivered provably optimal architectures for atomic-frequency-comb quantum memories [3], giving industry concrete performance bounds for memory design.

Our teams demonstrated how variational methods enhance non-local correlations in realistic noisy networks [4] and developed hardware–software co-design strategies for distributed quantum computing [5], offering blueprints for integrating quantum nodes into modular compute platforms. We further created in-silico benchmarks for detectable Byzantine agreement [6], supporting robust multi-node protocols for emerging quantum cloud services. In sensing, HQAN researchers introduced GHZ-state partitioning techniques that maintain metrological advantage under noise [7]. And for network scaling, we developed optimized entanglement-distribution and buffer-time strategies [8] that improve repeater throughput. Together, these results form a translational toolkit that helps industry reduce engineering risk, validate performance targets, and accelerate the deployment of modular, networked quantum technologies.

Deep, Multidirectional Engagement With Industry Partners

HQAN has cultivated a robust network of 16 industry partners, ranging from early-stage quantum startups to global technology leaders. These partners—including Aliro, Vescent, Infleqtion, IBM, Quantinuum, Intel, Google, Pasqal, Xanadu, and others—actively collaborated with HQAN through research contributions, technology co-development, and student-focused training opportunities.

Active Participation in Research Coordination & Knowledge Exchange

Since 2025, HQAN hosted an extensive series of 72 partner-engaged research coordination talks across 40 meetings, featuring 6 from partners including: Vescent Technologies, Aliro, Xanadu, Infleqtion, Air Force Research Lab, and MIT Lincoln Lab. These talks strengthen cross-institutional scientific collaboration and ensure HQAN researchers stayed closely aligned with industry and national-lab priorities.

Hands-On Training & Student Exchanges With Industry

Partners provide direct training pathways for HQAN students and postdocs—for example, AdvR hosted hands-on photonics waveguide coupling training as part of the center’s exchange program. This “knowledge-transfer through doing” forms a critical component of HQAN’s workforce development strategy, giving trainees real experience with cutting-edge quantum technologies.

Growing the Midwest Quantum Innovation Ecosystem

HQAN plays a strategic role in the rise of the Midwest quantum technology sector, with partners embedded through the Chicago Quantum Exchange, the Duality accelerator, and the Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park (IQMP). HQAN senior personnel contributed to the design of the National Quantum Facility at IQMP, which will host companies including Diraq and Infleqtion when it opens in 2028.

Partners as Catalysts for Community-Scale Events & Talent Development

Industry partners engage directly in HQAN’s annual retreats—participating in hackathons (IBM), hardware demonstrations (Qubitekk), and career panels—to support student professional development and cross-team collaboration.

A Direct Pipeline from HQAN Labs to Quantum Companies

HQAN produces talent that industry partners actively hire. Over 27 HQAN alumni have moved directly into roles at quantum companies, many who are partners with HQAN—including IBM, Aliro Quantum, Infleqtion, IonQ, Intel Labs, and QuEra. These placements demonstrate the effectiveness of HQAN’s model of embedding students and postdocs within a vibrant academic–industry network, where sustained interaction naturally leads to workforce pathways and real-world impact.

Industry Partners

IBM

Google

Infleqtion (formerly ColdQuanta)

Toptica

American Family Insurance

AdvR

Northrop Grumman

Quantum Opus

Qubitekk

Xanadu

Microsoft

Aliro Quantum Technologies

FlexCompute

Vescent Photonics

Keysight Technologies

Quantinuum

Government Partners

Lincoln Lab

Air Force Research Lab

FermiLab