Overview
- IBM activated the IBM Quantum System Two at the University of Chicago in Hyde Park, which went live on Friday, November 6, 2026, and is operating from that temporary site.
- The machine runs a 120‑qubit Nighthawk r2 processor that uses a square‑lattice topology and that IBM says delivers about 30% greater circuit complexity than its prior Heron‑class chips; those technical claims come from IBM and are not independently verified in the coverage.
- The activation follows IBM’s November 5 announcement of an error‑correction platform developed with AMD and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a software‑and‑hardware pairing IBM says is part of its push to reach quantum advantage by the end of 2026.
- IBM plans to relocate the System Two to the under‑construction Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park when the facility opens, and the company’s FutureNow Chicago program at the park is expected to create roughly 750 full‑time technology jobs.
- The deployment builds on a December 2024 public‑private deal that created a National Quantum Algorithm Center at the IQMP and it is backed by state and federal support including a $25 million Illinois grant, larger tax incentives from local governments, and $280 million from DARPA.