DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado’s technical businesses and scientific advancements have been shared across the world — and out of this atmosphere — and now those accomplishments have been federally designated.

In April, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced a new public-private initiative, TechHubNow!, to position Colorado for designation as a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub (Tech Hub) under the CHIPS and Science Act.

Six months later, Colorado is now a Tech Hub focused on quantum industry advancement. 

“The quantum sector is one of the key industries of tomorrow, and I’m thrilled the Biden administration is awarding Colorado a TechHub designation for quantum technology,” Gov. Jared Polis said. “We will take full advantage of this decision to help create jobs, and support businesses and entrepreneurs because Colorado is the best place for tech and innovation.”

Polis said Colorado is a world leader in quantum science, noting the high concentration of quantum organizations and jobs.

Several leading quantum companies, including Quantinuum, Infleqtion and Maybell, call Colorado home. One such company, Atom Computing, is investing over $100 million to scale operations in the state. Additionally, four Colorado scientists have won Nobel Prizes for quantum research. 

How Tech Hub designation may impact Colorado

U.S. Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet applauded the tech hub designation.

“This is the culmination of the hard work we started on my first day as Mayor: making Colorado the best place in the country to do business, to find a good-paying job, and to live a good life,” Hickenlooper said. “This will future-proof our successes and ensure we remain an economic and technological powerhouse.”

With the Tech Hub designation, Elevate Quantum, a consortium of over 70 quantum research companies, will focus on:

• Moving cutting-edge quantum research from the laboratory to the market.
• Facilitating a vibrant startup and scale-up ecosystem.
• Building a diverse and inclusive workforce.

The Tech Hub designation allows Colorado to apply for federal funding in the industry.

“America must keep our competitive edge in next-generation technologies like quantum computing,” Sen. Bennet said. “Colorado has spent decades investing in research and development and supporting a vibrant start-up ecosystem to strengthen American leadership in quantum technologies.”

Bennet said that there is no state positioned to serve as a quantum technology hub better than Colorado, and that the designation will ensure that the Centennial State continues to lead the country in quantum technologies.