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Kara Swisher interviewed Illinois Governor JB Pritzker on the state’s large-scale quantum strategy, which includes 100s of millions of dollars in support to both universities and companies and the 125-acre, 1 million square foot Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park. Here are some choice (and approximate) quotes from their talk:

On the Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park: “The project is not IQMP, it’s the ecosystem. It’s much bigger than this set of buildings. It’s companies wanting to be nearby, and scientists who want to be a part of it and using the quantum computers that will reside here. There will be literally 10s of billions of dollars of investment in commerce that surrounds the park [and the work going on there.] Thousands and thousands of jobs in the quantum industry and the people who can make it effective in the insurance industry, the food industry, pick your poison…

Institutions and universities have their own fences and compete against one another. So we asked ‘What if we create an independent campus?’ Companies want access to more than one university. Let’s create a place where they can do that.”

On the state’s investment: “Where do we have a right to win here in Illinois? One thing we’ve not taken enough advantage of is that we have some of the great scientific institutions in the country. Some great companies too. The government of the state has never been an aggregator of those things. Back in the early ‘90s the University of Illinois was the central focus of the web. The university was vitally important [to its growth.] But businesses were not grown here in Illinois. There was no policy or endeavor by the state, or anybody really, to keep it in Illinois. You’ve got to nurture these things.

Where can we have the [state] government be a partner in creating industry here for the future so we don’t miss the opportunity we missed in the 1990s. The answer is quantum.”

On current negative responses to AI and datacenters: “My job [as governor] is to help everyone do better. I’ve got to think about 20 years from now. Politicians are often thinking about the next year, but the legacy you leave is way more important than the next election….We have to make some bets on things we aren’t trad known for.

Quantum is not a datacenter, and it’s not AI. But we have huge advantages [in all of those areas.] We need to use those advantages – like fresh water, like energy – and protect them. We want to do it in the right way…Illinois is a net energy exporter. We have more nuclear power than any other state. More than 50 percent of our power is nuclear. [Our previous moratorium on new nuclear power plants] is off, and removing that means we can add base-load power to the state. And that’s often without a NIMBY problem. [There are nuclear power plants throughout northern Illinois already and the governor described community support for the growth of those plants or new ones nearby.]

Even with anger about datacenters, we have such advantages for quantum that we have to take advantage..”

On tech talent in Illinois: “One of the big challenges is, we produce so much engineering talent, and it is such a valuable commodity. Everyone comes to the University of Illinois and hires our talent and takes them [to other states, particularly Silicon Valley.]

I want those people to thrive here, and the companies to choose to be here. Not everyone is going to stay. But if we could turn the spigot a little bit more, it would have a hugely positive effect. If we have quantum industry, it’s [going to be built on] Argonne [National Laboratory] and Fermilab and the professors at our universities. My job is to create that environment where people want to be here.”

On the national security implications of quantum computing: The competition is very serious. There are certainly people who think China is ahead in AI and quantum. We can’t let that happen. Can we catch up? Yes, we can. Private industry is better equipped to go faster [than the Chinese system.]

But there’s research that has to be done before the industry part, and [that is the work of] the universities. Your first customers will be the government, largely in national security, as it was with the internet.

[We need] the things we’ve always needed: Investment in research and for the government to be the first customer for many of these companies. One reason Illinois is a great hub for quantum and quantum-powered AI: We’re the second largest region for Fortune 500 companies, and they want to use these systems to make their businesses better. The commercial industry is poised to be just after [the government as a customer for quantum computing companies.]”

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