Scientists working with a quantum computing system.

Microsoft, IonQ And The University of Maryland Are Helping Transform College Park Into A Global Center For A Technology That Could Reshape Business, Medicine, Education And National Security

Compiled And Edited By Raoul Dennis

Although the countdown began long before the upcoming September 23–25 Quantum World Congress comes to the county, that fact won’t make the new Capital of Quantum any less awe-inspiring for the hundreds of world economic planners, scientists and visionaries who are expected to be here.

Starting with innovative work at the University of Maryland some 30 years ago and then successfully transitioning into a commercial hub, the county and state are now fully invested in the potential power of quantum computing to be a game changer not only for the local economy but for health, education and other industries that it will touch.

But what does that mean? What does quantum computing mean, for that matter?

Quantum Computing is a computer’s computer, working faster than regular computers and providing optional solutions.

“What quantum does is give you multiple possibilities [to lead to a better outcome],” says Sam Braden IV, the Business Development Manager – Information Technology at the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation. PGCEDC is a partner in the Quantum World Congress. “It will do what takes a regular computer weeks to do.”

Imagine this working on cancer cells or tackling accounting issues for a massive budget, and quantum computing’s speed, greater accuracy, and multiple potential solutions become a compelling industry to embrace.

A Revolution at the Atomic Scale

The next great technology revolution may be taking shape inside laboratories in Prince George’s County—at temperatures colder than deep space and on a scale far smaller than the human eye can see.

Quantum computing remains unfamiliar to much of the public, but Maryland leaders are treating it as a serious economic-development opportunity. With the University of Maryland, College Park at its center, the county has assembled a rare concentration of scientists, research institutes, federal partners, startup companies and technology giants. It is becoming what state leaders increasingly call the “Capital of Quantum.”

Traditional computers process information in bits, represented as either a zero or a one. Quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits, which can exploit unusual properties of matter—particularly superposition and entanglement—to represent and analyze information differently. The goal is not to replace laptops or conventional supercomputers. It is to solve certain extraordinarily complicated problems that can overwhelm even today’s fastest machines.

Those problems could include modeling molecules for new medicines, designing advanced materials and batteries, optimizing transportation networks, strengthening national security and confronting encryption systems that currently protect financial and personal information.

Quantum Computing and AI: Powerful but Different

“You put a problem into AI, and you get a result,” Braden says. “Quantum works differently.”

Quantum computing and artificial intelligence are often discussed together, but they are not the same technology. AI uses algorithms and large collections of data to recognize patterns, generate content, make predictions and automate decisions. It generally operates on conventional computers and depends heavily on computing power, training data and software.

Quantum computing approaches certain problems through the laws of quantum physics. Instead of learning from data in the way an AI system does, a quantum computer uses qubits to evaluate highly complex combinations and probabilities. AI can help researchers control quantum systems, identify errors and design useful applications. In turn, sufficiently advanced quantum computers may eventually accelerate portions of AI training, optimization and data analysis. The two technologies are therefore more likely to complement one another than compete, with AI serving as an intelligent analytical tool and quantum computing providing a radically different form of computational power.

How College Park Built a Quantum Ecosystem

Much of Prince George’s County’s advantage can be traced to more than three decades of quantum research at the University of Maryland. The university’s network includes the Joint Quantum Institute, the Quantum Technology Center, the Quantum Startup Foundry and the National Quantum Laboratory at Maryland, known as QLab. The region also sits near the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Security Agency, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and other major federal research and security operations.

IonQ, founded in 2015 from technology developed in university laboratories, provided the county with something many aspiring technology centers lack: a homegrown quantum company that successfully moved from academic research into the commercial marketplace. The publicly traded company is headquartered in College Park and uses trapped ions—electrically charged atoms—to create and control qubits.

Maryland’s Billion-Dollar Commitment

Maryland’s effort accelerated in January 2025 when Governor Wes Moore announced the “Capital of Quantum,” a public-private initiative intended to catalyze more than $1 billion in investment over five years. Plans have included research facilities, workforce development, business recruitment, startup support and an expanded IonQ headquarters in the University of Maryland Discovery District. IonQ said its proposed 100,000-square-foot facility would include offices, laboratories and a data center, while supporting growth to at least 250 regional employees.

“Quantum information science has the potential to transform every sector, from national security to healthcare,” Moore said when the initiative was introduced. Maryland, he argued, has the talent, federal relationships and research universities necessary to become the world’s leading quantum-innovation hub.

Microsoft Joins the County’s Quantum Ambitions

The arrival of Microsoft could significantly strengthen that claim. The company is planning a quantum research center in the Discovery District through a collaboration with the University of Maryland, the University of Maryland Enterprise Corporation and the state. According to material provided for the 2026 Quantum World Congress, the center would combine hardware and software development and provide dedicated space for proprietary Microsoft research and broader work with government, academic and industry partners.

The facility is also expected to house one of the early prototypes of Microsoft’s topological quantum computer and give DARPA researchers access for testing and evaluation. Microsoft’s presence would place one of the world’s largest technology companies alongside IonQ, emerging quantum ventures and university researchers in a tightly concentrated innovation district.

For Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy, the development represents an opportunity to connect cutting-edge research with wider economic participation. In marking the county’s growing quantum identity, her administration has described the Discovery District as a place “where innovation meets opportunity” and research produces real-world jobs, wealth and technology.

The Potential Economic Payoff

The local economic promise extends well beyond physicists. A growing quantum cluster will require software engineers, cybersecurity specialists, laboratory technicians, construction contractors, manufacturers, administrative employees and professional-service firms. Restaurants, hotels and retailers could also benefit as international researchers, investors and executives travel to the county.

No comprehensive projection has yet been released isolating quantum computing’s total future economic impact on Prince George’s County. The figures that are available, however, show the intended scale. The Capital of Quantum initiative seeks to generate more than $1 billion in public and private investment over five years. IonQ’s proposed headquarters expansion is expected to increase its regional workforce to at least 250 employees, while the planned 100,000-square-foot facility would generate additional construction, contracting and supplier activity. University officials also reported that more than a dozen domestic and international companies contacted Maryland about tours and possible participation within weeks of the initiative’s announcement.

If those investments attract additional laboratories, startups and established technology companies, the county could gain new commercial property, income and business-tax revenue while reducing its longstanding dependence on government employment. The eventual economic return remains uncertain because commercial quantum computing is still developing, but the concentration of research, investment and highly paid employment in College Park gives Prince George’s County a credible opportunity to capture a significant portion of Maryland’s emerging quantum economy.

Preparing a Homegrown Workforce

Education will determine how broadly those gains are shared. The Capital of Quantum strategy calls for a talent pipeline reaching from kindergarten through graduate school and professional retraining. IonQ has discussed working with the university on quantum-related materials for Maryland high schools. For Prince George’s County Public Schools, Bowie State University, Prince George’s Community College and local workforce organizations, the challenge is to ensure that county students are prepared early enough to compete for the resulting careers.

Possibilities for Health and Medicine

Health care may offer some of the most consequential long-term benefits. Quantum systems could eventually simulate molecular interactions with far greater precision, shortening parts of the drug-development process and helping researchers investigate difficult diseases. Quantum sensing could improve medical imaging and biological measurement. These possibilities remain developmental—not promised cures—but they could eventually affect the research and treatment work of hospitals and health institutions throughout the county.

An International Congress Comes to Prince George’s

The international spotlight will intensify September 23–25, when the 2026 Quantum World Congress convenes at The Hotel at the University of Maryland in College Park. Previous editions established a serious, executive-level tone, bringing scientists into the same rooms as corporate leaders, government officials, investors, military representatives and startup founders.

The 2024 Congress attracted more than 1,000 leaders from at least 28 countries and 30 states. Thirty-eight percent were senior or C-suite executives, while other attendees included department directors, researchers, engineers and policymakers. Its speakers represented organizations such as Microsoft, IBM, IonQ, Quantinuum, the National Science Foundation and international scientific institutions.

No official 2026 attendance forecast has been published, but the move to College Park—combined with Microsoft’s planned laboratory and Maryland’s billion-dollar initiative—suggests another gathering of roughly 1,000 or more global participants is plausible. The atmosphere is likely to be less science fair than strategic summit: technical presentations, policy debates, investment conversations, business matchmaking and closely watched announcements.

Turning Scientific Leadership Into Local Progress

Prince George’s County is not guaranteed to become the world’s dominant quantum center. The technology is expensive, technically difficult and still years from reaching many of its boldest commercial goals. Other regions are competing aggressively.

But the county is no longer watching the quantum race from the sidelines. The laboratories, companies, public investment and international attention are arriving in College Park. The consequential question now is whether Prince George’s can convert scientific leadership into local businesses, healthier communities, stronger classrooms and lasting wealth for the people who already call the county home.

Sources: Quantum World Congress 2026; “Quantum World Congress 2026” conference materials supplied by the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation; State of Maryland and University of Maryland Announce $1 Billion Capital of Quantum Initiative; Capital of Quantum; University of Maryland: Building the Capital of Quantum; Quantum World Congress: Who’s in the Room; The Washington Post, “This Maryland Lab’s Quantum Computer Could Cure Cancer—and Steal Passwords,” Feb. 8, 2026.