QC Ware, CQE to co-host Q2B x Chicago Quantum Summit, underscoring growing strength of Quantum Prairie

Event will be held December 8 – 10 at Marriott Marquis Chicago and McCormick Place

PALO ALTO, Calif. and CHICAGO , March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Two of the world's leading quantum technology conferences will join forces in Chicago this year as the Q2B26 x Chicago Quantum Summit, hosted by QC Ware and the Chicago Quantum Exchange.

The event, to be held December 8 – 10 at the Marriott Marquis Chicago and McCormick Place, combines Q2B's quantum business, practical application, and investor strength with the Chicago Quantum Summit's integrated focus on research, scale-up, and economic development, offering opportunities for participants to engage with thought leaders, explore partnerships, and build skills across the full discovery-to-deployment spectrum.

"After building Q2B into the pre-eminent quantum conference in Silicon Valley, we wanted to explore a new partnership and location for the US edition of Q2B. Chicago was obvious choice," said Matt Johnson, the co-founder and CEO of QC Ware, a leading software and development firm that launched Q2B in Mountain View, California, in 2017. "The region's local stakeholders are deeply committed to building a Midwest quantum hub and bringing together global leaders in the sector. All of that is supported by the unparalleled research and innovation ecosystem."

The partnership reflects both the growing strength of the Quantum Prairie, a globally recognized quantum hub that spans Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana, and the evolution of the fast-growing quantum sector, which is on the cusp of commercial utility.

"At this pivotal time in our sector's development, it is more important than ever to foster the collaboration that will drive our sector toward real-world impact," said David Awschalom, the University of Chicago's Liew Family Professor of Molecular Engineering and Physics and the founding director of the CQE, an intellectual hub that  advances the science and engineering of quantum information, prepares the quantum workforce, and drives the quantum economy in collaboration with leading universities, national labs, and industry partners. "This partnership is an opportunity to further integrate the full spectrum of elements that will shape the sector's growth, from cutting-edge breakthroughs, startup support, and supply chain security to workforce development, investment strategies, and policymaking. By thinking and working comprehensively, we create an efficient path to a revolutionary quantum future."

Q2B x Chicago Quantum Summit  will feature three days of intense networking, cutting-edge discussions, exclusive announcements about products and initiatives, and hands-on demonstrations from the forefront of the quantum industry and academic research. Attendees will hear from thought leaders across government, academia, and Fortune 500 corporations who are shaping the quantum future and building the roadmap to quantum value.

The CQE, which launched the Summit in 2018, is based at the University of Chicago and anchored by the US Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Northwestern University, and Purdue University and includes nearly 70 corporate, nonprofit, international, and regional partners.

Learn more on the Chicago Quantum Exchange page https://chicagoquantum.org/  and on the Q2B website https://q2b.qcware.com/.

For media inquiry: [email protected]

SOURCE QC Ware Corp.