IBM and US Department of Commerce Announce Establishment of First US Dedicated Quantum Foundry With Up to $1 Billion CHIPS Act Support

WASHINGTON, D.C. and ARMONK, N.Y. - May 21, 2026 (Local Time)

IBM and the US Department of Commerce (DoC) have announced a Letter of Intent (LOI) toward building a quantum chip foundry in the United States. This will strengthen US global leadership in the quantum field and further promote the growth of the expanding quantum ecosystem within the country. The CHIPS Act incentives from the Department of Commerce will support the research and development of a newly established IBM subsidiary, 'Anderon,' which is slated to become the first company in the US dedicated to a quantum foundry. This initiative represents one of the largest commitments ever by the US government to quantum research and development, aiming to establish a framework where the US accounts for a substantial majority of global quantum wafer manufacturing.

In addition to the $1 billion CHIPS incentive from the Department of Commerce, IBM will contribute $1 billion in funding to Anderon, along with providing intellectual property, equipment, and highly skilled talent. Furthermore, as the company grows, participation from other investors is anticipated. Operating as an independent company headquartered in Albany, New York, Anderon is expected to function as a state-of-the-art 300mm quantum wafer foundry. The company will play a core role in the quantum industry, which is projected to have an economic value of up to $850 billion by 2040, solidifying US leadership, driving economic growth, and contributing to the strengthening of national security.

IBM's mission to deliver market-leading quantum computing to the world remains unchanged. This Letter of Intent with the Department of Commerce demonstrates IBM's global leadership in quantum computing and its world-class wafer manufacturing technology. IBM has already developed and verified scalable quantum wafer technology, charting a clear path toward commercialization. As a company dedicated to the quantum foundry, Anderon plans to leverage IBM's strengths in building and deploying quantum computers to offer wafer manufacturing services to a multitude of quantum technology vendors worldwide.

US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick stated: "With today's CHIPS R&D investment, the Trump administration is ushering in a new era of US innovation in quantum computing. These strategic quantum technology investments will fortify the foundation of domestic industries, create thousands of high-paying jobs, and enhance the quantum technological capabilities of the United States."

Bill Frauenhofer, Executive Director for Semiconductor Investment and Innovation, stated: "The Department of Commerce's incentives will strengthen US leadership and technological resilience in the quantum sector, accelerating its advancement. Quantum computing will profoundly impact national defense, advanced materials, biopharmaceutical drug discovery, financial modeling, energy systems, and more."

Arvind Krishna, Chairman and CEO of IBM, stated: "IBM has led quantum computing for decades. Our work in silicon wafer manufacturing has been a critical element of our success, and it will be essential to the development of quantum technology that will reshape global innovation and economic competitiveness in the future. With the support of the US Department of Commerce, Anderon will play a vital role in sustaining the rapidly growing US quantum technology industry."

Leveraging its expertise in manufacturing equipment and specialized talent, IBM will work alongside Anderon to establish a secure domestic quantum wafer supply chain for multiple hardware vendors. Anderon will initially support the manufacturing of wafers for superconducting qubits and related electronic circuits, with plans to expand to other quantum modalities in the future.

From its inception, Anderon is prepared to serve as the core of a national ecosystem for quantum wafer manufacturing. This will enable IBM and other quantum companies to accelerate the scalable production of quantum technology within the United States.

The state-of-the-art 300mm wafer processes that Anderon plans to introduce are expected to deliver advanced quantum wafer technologies, including superconducting wiring, through-silicon vias, and bumps. These are supported by dedicated process design kits, in-line wafer testing and characterization, and established foundational processes that allow for rapid design iteration and reliable scalability.