Colorado scores win in race to become global hub for quantum technology

Thousands more tech jobs may come to Colorado thanks to a $41 million grant the state is receiving from the federal government.

The focus is on quantum technology.

The funding is coming from the US Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration.

Denver based Maybell Quantum is part of a group of Colorado tech companies, community colleges and universities that have come together to ensure the state is a leader in the next tech revolution. The consortium is known as Elevate Quantum.

The industry is hoping to generate more than ten thousand new jobs in the state for people with a broad spectrum of skills. Front Range Community College is among the local institutions already training students for jobs in the field.

"You come to a company like Maybell where we're building quantum infrastructure, we're 80% folks without advanced degrees. It's a bunch of welders, machinists, technicians, engineers, others who are building the fundamental hardware that is necessary for a quantum computer to work," said Maybell Quantum CEO Corban Tillemann-Dick.

Maybell builds the ultra-low temperature refrigerators needed for quantum computers to operate, creating environments Tillemann-Dick says are colder than outer space.

Governor Jared Polis said, "This decision shows that America is serious about being a global leader in quantum technology, the future of computing. Colorado is the center of the quantum technology ecosystem and we are thrilled that the Biden Administration is supporting our work to develop the best minds, research, and innovation in the country."

Governor Polis recently signed bipartisan legislation investing an additional $74 million in the quantum industry's development, including $44 million in refundable tax credits.

Quantum computing can be used to solve problems that classical computers cannot, in everything from climate, to healthcare and national security.