Roadrunner Venture Studios and New Mexico’s Technology and Innovation Office (TIO) have opened the Roadrunner Quantum Lab (RQL) in Albuquerque’s Innovation District.
The new 35,000-square-foot facility will be an anchor for New Mexico’s US$450-million commitment to quantum, granting essential access to resources such as lab space, specialized equipment, and collaborations with leading researchers.
“The Roadrunner Quantum Lab cements New Mexico’s place at the forefront of quantum research in America,” said Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
“It’s paying off in high-paying jobs and meaningful opportunities for New Mexicans to lead at the cutting edge of quantum technology,” said Grisham.
The RQL has already attracted leading quantum information science companies to the space to build alongside new startups and researchers.
These companies include Diraq, IonQ, Quantum Machines, Conductor Quantum, Mesa Quantum, QBoltz, Photon Queue, QuEra, and Manzano Systems as well as Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Elevate Quantum, and the Quantum New Mexico Institute.
“New Mexico has been a home for quantum information science for decades, and it’s now emerging as a place where quantum companies can grow and thrive,” said David Kistin, the director of the Roadrunner Quantum Lab.
“The RQL is helping bring together researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, and industry partners to build a stronger quantum ecosystem across the Southwest,” said Kistin.
The lab is a direct result of the State of New Mexico’s selection of Roadrunner Venture Studios and its coalition partners to establish and operate a quantum venture studio.
“New Mexico doesn’t just talk about the future of quantum; we build the room where it happens,” said Economic Development New Mexico Secretary Rob Black.
“The Roadrunner Quantum Lab gives quantum startups access to the infrastructure, equipment and connections they need to turn breakthrough research into companies, products and high-skill jobs here in New Mexico,” said Black.
TIO director Nora Meyers Sackett said that a year ago, they set out to prove that New Mexico could turn decades of research strength into real companies and real jobs.
“Today that promise has walls, equipment, and startups walking through the door,” said Sackett.
To support the work of the studio and RQL, Roadrunner organized a New Mexico quantum coalition last year, which includes nearly a dozen partners spanning national laboratories (Sandia, Los Alamos), private industry (QuEra Computing, Maybell, Qunnect, Resonance), academic institutions (University of New Mexico) and venture capital firms (DCVC, Playground Global, Quantonation).
