IBM Launches AI and Quantum Hubs in Illinois and Massachusetts

IBM has announced two new hubs at which it will work on artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

In Chicago, IBM plans to create 750 full-time jobs in AI, cybersecurity, data science, quantum and other fields at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP), according to a press release issued Wednesday (April 29) by the Illinois Governor’s Office.

“IBM’s FutureNow Chicago delivery center will support new jobs, expand our Chicago delivery capability for IBM’s clients, and together, we will build the future of technology talent and create sustained economic growth,” IBM Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna said in the release.

IQMP is a campus built for quantum technology and microelectronics innovation and scale-up and is designed to bring together an ecosystem of companies, researchers, manufacturers, suppliers, end users and other partners, according to its website.

IBM also announced Wednesday that it is collaborating with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on the launch of a new lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab will focus on quantum computing and foundational artificial intelligence research, according to a press release issued by IBM.

“We expect the MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab to emerge as one of the world’s premier academic and industrial hubs accelerating the future of computing,” Jay Gambetta, director of IBM Research and IBM Fellow, and IBM chair of the MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab, said in the release. “Together, the brightest minds at MIT and IBM will rethink how models, algorithms and systems are designed for an era that will be defined by the sum of what’s possible when AI and quantum computing come together.”

It was reported in February that IBM will triple its entry-level hiring in the United States this year even as AI reshapes the tasks traditionally assigned to new graduates. The company said the expansion will be “across the board” and will affect a wide range of departments.

In December 2025, IBM said it planned to acquire Confluent for about $11 billion in cash. Confluent provides software that moves data between systems in real time. IBM said the acquisition will expand its data and AI platform. The company completed the acquisition in March.