Quantum computing company IonQ Inc. (NYSE: IONQ) plans to open a 65,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Bothell.
IonQ announced the facility on Friday and expects it to open in the first half of 2024, according to a company spokesperson. The company plans to invest $1 billion in the Pacific Northwest over the next 10 years and add "thousands of new jobs" locally, it said in a news release.
"The Seattle region has been a hub of tech innovation and manufacturing for decades and has the skilled workforce we need to design, build and manufacture our quantum computers," Peter Chapman, president and CEO of IonQ, said in the release. "As we planned our expansion, the Seattle area was the best option for our new facility."
The spokesperson added that the new facility will be on the first two floors of 3755 Monte Villa Parkway in Bothell, and IonQ did not have an office in the area before this. According to the company, the facility will house IonQ's research and development, manufacturing, quantum data center and primary production engineering location.
IonQ, founded in 2015, makes multiple models of quantum computers. Quantum computing is an emerging field of computer science that uses quantum mechanics, with the goal of solving problems too complex for traditional supercomputers. IonQ is headquartered in College Park, Maryland, and has contracts with companies like Airbus, General Electric and Hyundai. Dave Mehuys, IonQ's vice president of product engineering, will manage the build-out of IonQ's Bothell facility, the company said in the release.
The new facility received congressional support from Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington, according to IonQ.
“IonQ making the decision to open the first ever quantum computing manufacturing facility in the country right here in Bothell is a very big deal — and it’s great news for Washington state,” Murray said in a release. “Opening this facility will absolutely help ensure Washington state continues to be a leader in innovation and cutting-edge technologies — but it also means jobs that will be an investment in our families and their futures."
