IBM to acquire HRL Laboratories, expanding its quantum computing portfolio

IBM announced it will purchase HRL Laboratories, a private quantum‑computing research lab jointly owned by Boeing and General Motors. The deal adds a second quantum‑technology path to IBM’s strategy, complementing its existing superconducting‑qubit approach with HRL’s electron‑spin qubits, which can be made smaller using conventional chip‑fabrication equipment. While the purchase price was not disclosed, IBM said Boeing and GM will keep partnering on quantum projects. HRL’s team will begin producing chips at IBM’s new facility in New York, following a $1 billion U.S. government grant for a quantum‑chip factory. The acquisition is intended to accelerate development of IBM’s next‑generation quantum systems, with its current superconducting “Blue Jay” machine slated for delivery by 2033. IBM’s director of research, Jay Gambetta, emphasized that the spin‑qubit technology could be integrated with existing platforms, broadening IBM’s quantum‑computing capabilities.