Featured in South Florida Business Journal: Inside Palm Beach County’s Bet on Quantum Computing
The South Florida Business Journal published an in-depth feature on the quantum computing race — and Palm Beach County sits squarely at the center of the story. Under the headline Quantum Beach, the article explores how the region is positioning itself as one of the country’s next major hubs for quantum innovation, following the announcement that D-Wave Quantum will establish its headquarters and R&D operation in Boca Raton.
The South Florida Business Journal piece is essential reading for anyone tracking where the next generation of technology jobs, research funding, and venture capital in South Florida is heading.
What the Article Covers
Written for executives, investors, and readers following Florida’s technology transformation, the feature walks through the moves that have taken quantum computing in Palm Beach County from concept to industry in less than a year. Highlights include:
- The strategic recruitment of D-Wave Quantum — a publicly traded leader in commercial quantum systems — to the Boca Raton Innovation Campus, the former IBM site where the original personal computer was developed
- Florida Atlantic University’s $20 million commercial quantum computer acquisition, making it the first university in Florida to host the technology on campus when the system arrives in early 2027
- Palm Beach State College’s plan to launch Florida’s first dedicated quantum technician training lab, opening quantum career pathways to veterans, career changers, and recent high school graduates
- The projected $2.7 trillion in economic value quantum computing is expected to generate globally by 2035, according to McKinsey’s 2026 Quantum Technology Monitor
- The 1,500-mile Florida LambdaRail fiber optic network being developed in partnership with IonQ to link South Florida’s research institutions and universities
Featured voices include Kelly Smallridge of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, D-Wave CEO Alan Baratz, FAU President Adam Hasner, Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly, Quantum Coast Capital’s Matthew Cimaglia, and Miami-Dade Beacon Council CEO Rod Miller.
Why It Matters for the Local Community
The quantum story in Palm Beach County is not confined to research labs. As the article explores, the ecosystem being assembled — headquarters recruitment, university research, technician training, and statewide digital infrastructure — is designed to create hundreds of high-wage jobs, keep local graduates in the region, and open career pathways that did not exist here two years ago.
For residents, that means new opportunities in one of the fastest-growing sectors of the U.S. economy. For local companies, it means access to the compute power that will redefine industries from logistics to life sciences. And for the next generation of scientists and engineers coming out of the county’s universities, it means a reason to stay.
Read the full story in the South Florida Business Journal >
About the Business Development Board of the Palm Beaches
The Business Development Board is Palm Beach County’s official public/private economic development organization. Founded in 1982, the BDB helps companies relocate to, expand, and remain in the region creating career opportunities that allow residents, and the generations that follow them, to build their futures close to home. By attracting and retaining quality employers, the BDB strengthens the local tax base that supports schools, parks, infrastructure, and public services throughout the county. Over the past five years, the organization has supported 135 companies, including many who have called Palm Beach County home for decades. Those companies created or retained more than 11,622 direct jobs with average salaries exceeding $80,000 and generating over $1 billion in capital investment across Palm Beach County. Learn more at www.BDB.org.
