World Quantum Day: a look inside the South Florida county that landed a Silicon Valley headquarters, a $20M quantum computer, a 15-university alliance, a quantum innovation center and millions in public funding.
April 14, 2026 – WEST PALM BEACH, FL — Today, on World Quantum Day, Palm Beach County, FL can claim it’s created something in 18 months that no other region in America can: a fully integrated quantum ecosystem that includes a Fortune 500 headquarters, a university-hosted quantum computer, a statewide research alliance, a dedicated quantum innovation center, venture partnerships, and a funded talent pipeline. This activity is a result of public and private partnerships facilitated by the Business Development Board of the Palm Beaches.
“University presidents, Fortune 500 executives, startup founders, elected officials and a global conference — together, our community created the conditions for an entirely new industry to take root here,” said Kelly Smallridge, President and CEO of the Business Development Board of the Palm Beaches.
The Milestones:
- Quantum Beach 2025: In October 2025, the Business Development Board co-hosted a global quantum conference in West Palm Beach, FL with Quantum Coast Capital and The Quantum Insider. More than 500 international leaders attended, alongside delegations from IonQ, Quantinuum, D-Wave, IBM, Resonance Holdings, and the New York Stock Exchange.
- Historic MOU Unites 15 Florida Universities: 15 statewide universities signed the first-of-its-kind Memorandum of Understanding, establishing the Florida Alliance for Quantum Technology (FAQT) to align university activities with state agencies, private-sector innovators and investors to accelerate research, commercialization and workforce development. The signing took place in West Palm Beach.
- MOU to Advance Quantum Investment and Innovation: The Florida Opportunity Fund and Quantum Coast Capital formalized a partnership to co-invest in quantum technology companies across Florida. The announcement was made in West Palm Beach.
- Palm Beach State College Announces Quantum Innovation Center: Palm Beach State College revealed plans for a new Quantum Innovation Center in West Palm Beach — a quantum incubator and workforce hub co-located with the Florida LambdaRail.
- Florida Atlantic University Purchases a $20M Quantum Computer: Florida Atlantic University signed an agreement to acquire D-Wave’s Advantage2™ system in Boca Raton — making FAU the first university in Florida to host a dedicated quantum computer on campus. The partnership includes a D-Wave Quantum Applications Academy with paid student internships.
- D-Wave Relocates Global HQ to Boca Raton: D-Wave Quantum (NYSE: QBTS) announced it would move its headquarters from Palo Alto to the Boca Raton Innovation Campus — the historic space where the first personal computer was made by IBM. The BDB facilitated site selection and coordinated incentives through the City of Boca Raton and the State of Florida. The move will create 100+ jobs averaging over $125,000.
- Fostering a Quantum Ecosystem and Talent Pipeline: The Business Development Board received a grant through Congresswoman Lois Frankel to build a quantum technology talent pipeline connecting workforce programs directly to industry.
- Statewide Quantum Asset Map: Selected as the official state partner, the Business Development Board is building a statewide quantum asset map through Resonance Holdings, with a $250,000 grant secured from the state.
Funds Secured:
- $1,031,000 in federal funds secured by Congresswoman Lois Frankel for the Business Development Board to fuel quantum workforce development and regional coordination
- $2,000,000 in federal funds secured by Congresswoman Lois Frankel for Palm Beach State College to develop its new Quantum Innovation Center
- $4,950,000 in state funds secured through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund for Palm Beach State College to develop workforce training in computing and quantum technologies
- $250,000 in state funds secured through FloridaCommerce for the Business Development Board to develop a statewide quantum asset map
By the Numbers:
- Hundreds of Billions projected globally for the quantum computing sector within the next decade
- 500+ global leaders convened at Quantum Beach 2025
- 15 Florida universities united through the Florida Alliance for Quantum Technology
- $20M investment by FAU in Florida’s first university-hosted quantum computer
- $8.2M+ in public funding secured to accelerate quantum in Florida
- Hundreds of new jobs from corporate relocations in quantum
- 15 countries traveled to the Palm Beaches to learn about its quantum sector
Palm Beach County, FL has spent two decades proving that strategic economic development can reshape a region. The Business Development Board of the Palm Beaches recruited The Scripps Research Institute and the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience — building a life sciences corridor from scratch. Then came Wall Street South, as Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, Citadel, and hundreds of financial firms made the county a second center of gravity for global finance.
Now the Palm Beaches are at it again. This time with quantum technology. And in just 18 months. This World Quantum Day, the message from the Palm Beaches is simple: the future of quantum technology isn’t just being studied here. It’s being engineered here — one partnership at a time.
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About the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County
The Business Development Board of Palm Beach County (BDB) serves as the county’s official public/private economic development organization. Established in 1982, the BDB is dedicated to attracting and retaining industries, fostering business investments, creating high-quality jobs, and supporting workforce development through corporate relocations, expansions, and international trade initiatives. Over the past five years, the BDB has supported more than 140 companies, contributing to the creation or retention of over 13,110 direct jobs with average salaries exceeding $80,000 per year. These efforts have driven more than $1.12 billion in capital investments into Palm Beach County.
