IBM and the US Department of Commerce have announced plans for a US-based quantum chip foundry aimed at scaling quantum computing from laboratory research towards industrial-scale manufacturing.

The quantum foundry will be built by a standalone IBM company called Anderon, which will see $1bn in funding from the US Department of Commerce under the CHIPS and Science Act and a further $1bn from IBM itself. The US tech giant will also invest intellectual property, assets and a skilled workforce to the initiative. 

Based in Albany, New York, the project aims to create a purpose-built quantum fabrication platform to manufacture wafers for multiple quantum technology companies across the globe. Anderon’s facility is expected to support 300mm wafer processing for quantum hardware including superconducting wiring, through-silicon vias and bump interconnects.

Quantum computing is heralded as the next frontier of computing technology. While it is still in its infancy, scientists believe that with its ability to solve problems that are unsolvable on classic computers, the technology could help power innovation in a range of fields, from drug discovery and smarter encryption software to manufacturing and AI.

According to Boston Consulting Group, quantum computing will create $450bn to $850bn of economic value globally by 2040.

IBM launched its IBM Heron quantum chip in 2024 and, while it has not said which chips the new foundry will produce, it has confirmed that it will initially focus on wafer fabrication for superconducting qubits and supporting electronics, with the goal to expand into other quantum modalities.

Arvind Krishna, chairman and CEO of IBM, said: “IBM has pioneered quantum computing for decades. Our work in silicon wafer fabrication has been a key to IBM's success and will be critical to enable a broader quantum technology landscape that will reshape global innovation and economic competitiveness.

“With the support of the US Department of Commerce, Anderon will be well-positioned to fuel America’s fast-growing quantum technology industry.”

The race to develop quantum computing chips is on. As well as the IBM Heron quantum chip, Google launched its 105-qubit in 2024, which it claims demonstrates “state-of-the-art performance across a number of metrics”. And in February 2025, Microsoft launched its new Majorana 1 chip, which it claims offers a “breakthrough in quantum computing”.