About the Initiative
Maryland is the Capital of Quantum
The Capital of Quantum (COQ) is Maryland’s statewide initiative that coordinates, promotes, connects, and invests in the region’s quantum ecosystem — bringing together industry, research institutions, federal agencies, and investors to make Maryland and the Capital of Quantum Region the premier destination for quantum innovation, talent, and commercialization.
Launched in January 2025 and anchored in Discovery District Maryland — one of the most concentrated innovation corridors on the East Coast — COQ has already helped attract more than $500 million in public, federal, and private quantum investments on the way to a target of $1 billion by 2030.
$500M+
Committed since launch
10+
Quantum companies joined since launch
$1B
Target investment by 2030
What We Do
Four roles. One mission.
Coordinate
COQ is convening regional quantum stakeholders — companies, research institutions, federal labs, and investors — aligning activities so the region speaks with one voice and moves with one purpose.
Promote
COQ is drawing national and international attention to the region’s quantum assets — making the case to companies, investors, and talent that Maryland is the best place in the world to do quantum work.
Connect
As a trusted partner, COQ is making introductions between companies and the labs, researchers, and federal programs that can advance their work — reducing friction and accelerating partnerships.
Invest
COQ is deploying capital into physical infrastructure — building space for quantum companies, funding testbeds and facilities, and supporting the Quantum Startup Foundry. COQ also pursues additional grants to support ecosystem and workforce development.
Strategic Priorities
Three pillars of Maryland’s quantum strategy
Maryland’s quantum investment is organized around three priorities. COQ coordinates, promotes, connects, and invests across all three — linking companies to programs, people, and partners within each pillar.
Pillar 01
Knowledge & Workforce
Maryland and the Capital region have the deepest concentration of quantum talent on the East Coast — a top-5 quantum PhD program, two joint quantum centers with NIST, and federal lab partnerships stretching from College Park to Fort Meade. State investment supports faculty recruitment and builds the talent pipeline that draws companies here.
Key regional assets
→ Joint Quantum Institute (JQI)
→ QuICS — Quantum Information & CS
→ NIST — 70+ years of quantum research
→ Quantum Technology Center
Pillar 02
Innovation & Commercialization
State investment supports QLab, the Quantum Startup Foundry, and the buildout of physical space for quantum companies in Discovery District Maryland. IonQ, which spun out of this ecosystem, is set to build its global headquarters here. More than ten quantum startups have joined since COQ launched.
Programs COQ connects companies to
→ QLab — National Quantum Laboratory
→ Quantum Startup Foundry (QSF)
→ Discovery Fund & MIPS
→ Build Our Future grants & MTIP internships
Pillar 03
Ecosystem Leadership & Integration
State investment supports ARLIS and DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative — a partnership unlocking up to $100M in federal matching funds. A new $65M ARLIS headquarters broke ground April 2026. Microsoft’s Quantum Research Center opens Fall 2026. COQ coordinates across these assets and is developing Discovery District Maryland as a true quantum campus.
Key infrastructure & partners
→ MIQA at ARLIS
→ DARPA Capital Quantum Benchmarking Hub
→ Microsoft Quantum Research Center
→ Discovery District Maryland
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Capital of Quantum?
Why quantum, and why Maryland?
Quantum technologies — computing, sensing, networking, and cryptography — are expected to reshape industries from finance to pharmaceuticals to national defense over the coming decade. Maryland is not starting from scratch: more than 35 years of quantum science at the University of Maryland, two quantum-focused joint centers with NIST, and a federal and defense lab ecosystem stretching from College Park to Fort Meade. IonQ — the world’s first publicly traded pure-play quantum company — was born here. The state’s investment is designed to ensure Maryland captures the economic and national security benefits of what its own researchers have built.
Why should I come to Maryland?
Maryland and the Capital of Quantum Region have the highest concentration of quantum-ready talent on the East Coast, with hundreds of active researchers and a deep pipeline of quantum graduates. Discovery District Maryland puts you adjacent to that talent base, IonQ’s World Headquarters, a national quantum testbed (QLab), Microsoft’s quantum research center, IQM’s first U.S. technology center, and federal partners including NIST, ARLIS, and DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Hub — all within 30 minutes of Washington, DC. COQ can make warm introductions, help navigate available funding programs, and connect you to the space and infrastructure you need to grow.
What funding is available to companies in Maryland?
Through the Capital of Quantum, funding is available to support capital and operational expenses of quantum companies locating in Discovery District Maryland. Companies meeting the requirements of the Capital Quantum Benchmarking Hub may be eligible for additional support. Several state and federal programs are available depending on your stage and focus: TEDCO investment, the Discovery Fund for early-stage ventures, MIPS grants for industry-university R&D, Build Our Future grants from the Maryland Department of Commerce, MTIP subsidized student internships, and the Global Gateway program for international companies establishing a Maryland presence. COQ can help identify the right programs for your situation.
What has Maryland’s quantum investment produced so far?
Since COQ launched in January 2025, Maryland has attracted more than $500 million in public, federal, and private quantum investments. This includes an up to $100 million matching agreement with DARPA; Microsoft’s new quantum research center in Discovery District Maryland; IonQ’s new global headquarters in College Park; IQM’s first U.S. technology center; a $65 million ARLIS headquarters now under construction; a $34.8 million DARPA contract to UMD ARLIS researchers; more than ten quantum startups landing in Discovery District Maryland; and a $244 million new quantum lab facility at UMD.
Is COQ a University of Maryland program?
COQ is a Maryland statewide initiative. It works closely with UMD — whose research base, labs, and talent pipeline are central to the regional ecosystem — but COQ’s mandate extends beyond UMD to serve the full quantum community across the state and region, including companies, federal partners, and institutions with no direct UMD connection.
Leadership
Capital of Quantum Leadership
Dr. Corey Stambaugh
Director, Capital of Quantum
Former Chief of Staff of the Physical Measurement Laboratory at NIST and Senior Policy Advisor for the National Quantum Coordination Office at the White House OSTP. Led workforce development, economic and national security initiatives, and industry engagement for quantum information science nationally. PhD in physics, with expertise precision metrology and nano-fabrication; Adjunct Professor at Montgomery College.
LinkedIn →
Dr. Gretchen Campbell
UNIVERSITY Advisor, Capital of Quantum
Associate Vice President for Quantum Research and Education at UMD. Former Director of the National Quantum Coordination Office and Assistant Director for Quantum Information at the White House OSTP, where she coordinated the National Quantum Initiative across government, industry, and academia. Pioneering experimental physicist — work spans Bose-Einstein condensates, ultra-precise atomic clocks, and the first atomtronic circuits. PhD, MIT.
Bio →LinkedIn →
Ecosystem leaders COQ works with
These individuals lead programs that are central to Maryland’s quantum ecosystem and key partners in COQ’s work. They lead their own organizations independently.
Dr. Norbert Linke
Director, QLab · JQI Fellow · Assoc. Prof. of Physics
Leads the National Quantum Laboratory (QLAB) at UMD, overseeing quantum hardware access programs and support for researchers, educators and start-ups across the ecosystem.
Bio →Piotr Kulczakowicz
Director, Quantum Startup Foundry
Leads the Quantum Startup Foundry (QSF) — co-working space, dry labs, and commercialization programs including Pre-TraQtion and TraQtion — supporting quantum entrepreneurs in Discovery District Maryland.
Bio →LinkedIn →
Dr. Nathan Bishop
Director, MIQA
Leads the Maryland Institute for Quantum Applications (MIQA) at ARLIS, focusing on quantum R&D for intelligence and security applications, including supporting the DARPA Quantum Benchmarking Initiative.
Bio →LinkedIn →
Advisory Board — coming soon
In the Field
COQ in action
ARLIS groundbreaking · World Quantum Day · April 2026
AAS Goddard Space Science Symposium · Washington, DC · March 2026
Council on Competitiveness · Industry Panel · March 2026
More from COQ’s events, announcements, and conversations: Capital of Quantum on LinkedIn →
Tomorrow Is Underway
Build the future with us
Whether you are a company looking to locate in Maryland, a researcher seeking hardware access, an investor interested in the quantum pipeline, or a policymaker wanting to understand the ecosystem — COQ is your starting point.
Get in touch