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Oct 14, 2024

Board of directors named for quantum project at old U.S. Steel site | Crain's Chicago Business

John Pletz is a senior reporter covering technology, aviation and cannabis for Crain’s Chicago Business. He joined Crain's in 2007 and previously covered technology for the American-Statesman in

John Pletz is a senior reporter covering technology, aviation and cannabis for Crain’s Chicago Business. He joined Crain's in 2007 and previously covered technology for the American-Statesman in Austin, Texas.

A University of Illinois offshoot has named a board to oversee the state’s new quantum research campus that will be built on the former U.S. Steel South Works site on the South Side.

Formally known as the Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park, it’s the centerpiece of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s vision to make the state a leader in the next generation of computing technology.

Naming the board is a key step in what has become a complicated public-private effort in pursuit of a big goal involving the state, public and private universities, and research institutions.

Illinois lawmakers authorized $500 million to boost the quantum industry, including $200 million to build a massive cryogenic facility on the campus, which Pritzker hopes will lure multiple companies that will ultimately provide more than $20 billion in investment.

Related Midwest is leading the development of the USX site, but the University of Illinois System will control the planning, operations and management of the 128-acre quantum park through a newly created university-related organization called Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park LLC.

Already, Silicon Valley-based startup PsiQuantum has agreed to build what is expected to be the world’s largest quantum computer at the park. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, plans to create a quantum-testing facility at the park. Discussions with other potential tenants are ongoing.

The U of I board of trustees created the Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park LLC and collaborated with the state to build out the board to manage the company, which is owned by the university.

Members of the board of managers for the park include: John Atkinson, chairman of Intersect Illinois; Rashid Bashir, dean of the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Stacia Edwards, deputy provost at City Colleges of Chicago; Sonja Feist-Price, provost at Chicago State University; Brad Henderson, CEO of P33; Paul Kearns, director of Argonne National Laboratory; Becky Locker, chief of staff at the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity; Susan Martinis, vice chancellor for research and innovation at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Nadya Mason, dean of the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago; Lia Merminga, director of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Wilbur C. Milhouse III, CEO of Milhouse Engineering & Construction; Eric Perreault, vice president for research at Northwestern University; Casimir Peters, chief of business attraction and development for the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity.

Milhouse will chair the board and Martinis will be the principal officer. The board is expected to name Harley Johnson, associate dean for research at Grainger, to lead day-to-day activities at the quantum park.

John Pletz is a senior reporter covering technology, aviation and cannabis for Crain’s Chicago Business. He joined Crain's in 2007 and previously covered technology for the American-Statesman in Austin, Texas.

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