The U.S. Department of Commerce and IBM announced a Letter of Intent on May 21, 2026, to build an American quantum chip foundry. The agreement supports the creation of Anderon, a new standalone company headquartered in Albany, New York, which will operate as a 300-millimeter quantum wafer foundry. The Department of Commerce will provide $1 billion in CHIPS incentives for research and development, while IBM will contribute $1 billion in cash, along with intellectual property, assets, and a skilled workforce.
What it means
Anderon is designated as America’s first pure-play quantum foundry. According to the companies, Anderon plans to offer wafer fabrication services for multiple quantum technology vendors globally. Initial operations will focus on superconducting qubits and supporting electronics wafers, with aims to expand into other quantum modalities as additional investors join. The launch of the facility is subject to the negotiation and execution of definitive documents between IBM and the Department of Commerce.
Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick stated that the CHIPS Research and Development investments represent the Trump administration leading the world into a new era of American innovation. Arvind Krishna, Chairman and CEO of IBM, said the work in silicon wafer fabrication has been key to IBM’s success and will be critical to enabling a broader quantum technology landscape. IBM reports having deployed over 90 quantum systems to date and claims to have more quantum computers than all other industry players combined. The company aims to deliver the world’s first large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer for commercial clients by 2029.
Key facts
- $1 billion in CHIPS incentives from the Department of Commerce for research and development
- $1 billion in cash contribution from IBM to Anderon
- Anderon will operate as a 300-millimeter quantum wafer foundry
- Headquartered in Albany, New York
- Initial focus on superconducting qubit and supporting electronics wafers
- Launch subject to execution of definitive documents
- IBM aims to deliver large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2029
Source: IBM and U.S. Department of Commerce news release (PR Newswire)