IonQ and University of Cambridge Open Quantum Innovation Centre
15 October 2026. IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) and the University of Cambridge have opened the IonQ Quantum Innovation Centre. It is the first-ever university-based IonQ Quantum Innovation Centre. The Centre is located at the Ray Dolby Centre, the new home of the University's Cavendish Laboratory.
The partnership was first announced on March 11, 2026. The Centre's nine inaugural research projects bring together Cambridge researchers and IonQ specialists. Projects include co-development of new quantum network nodes and sensing capabilities, and strengthening of the existing Cambridge-to-Bristol quantum network.
IonQ will deploy a Superion 256-qubit quantum computer and an entanglement-distribution quantum network at the University. The on-campus IonQ quantum network will consist of two Quantum Networking Data Centres and three Quantum Networking Nodes.
"The opening of the IonQ Quantum Innovation Centre turns a landmark agreement into a working home for quantum research inside one of the world's most storied physics laboratories," said Niccolo de Masi, Chairman and CEO of IonQ.
Innovate UK will provide access and computing time for the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) over three years, as part of the collaboration. The partnership supports new academic positions, postdoctoral fellows, and PhD students at Cambridge, and aligns with the UK National Quantum Strategy.
Source: The Quantum Insider