IBM Acquires HRL Laboratories from Boeing and General Motors to Expand Quantum Computing Strategy

IBM has agreed to acquire HRL Laboratories, a quantum research lab co-owned by Boeing and General Motors, to establish a dual-track quantum strategy. The deal, expected to close by late Q3 2026 for an undisclosed sum, integrates HRL's silicon-spin qubit expertise with IBM's superconducting program. HRL's chip production will shift to IBM's New York facilities, aligning with the $1 billion Anderon quantum foundry initiative. Boeing and GM will continue partnering with IBM on quantum applications.

IBM acquisition of HRL

• ▪The financial terms of IBM's acquisition of HRL Laboratories were not disclosed.
• ▪The acquisition of HRL Laboratories is expected to close by the end of the third quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
• ▪IBM signed a definitive agreement to acquire HRL Laboratories, a privately held quantum computing research laboratory jointly owned by Boeing and General Motors.

Silicon-spin qubit technology

• ▪HRL Laboratories published a preprint in April 2026 describing an 18-qubit silicon processor featuring 54 exchange-coupled quantum dots that demonstrated basic error-detecting codes.
• ▪HRL Laboratories launched spinQICK in July 2025, an open-source extension to Fermilab's Quantum Instrumentation Control Kit designed for solid-state spin qubits.
• ▪HRL Laboratories specializes in silicon-spin qubit engineering, quantum sensing, advanced materials, and high-speed electronics.

Anderon quantum foundry strategy

• ▪IBM plans to integrate HRL Laboratories' chip production into IBM's New York facilities to develop scalable spin-qubit manufacturing alongside Anderon.
• ▪In May 2026, IBM announced plans to establish Anderon in New Albany, New York, as a standalone quantum wafer foundry with a proposed $1 billion in federal support.

Superconducting versus spin qubits

• ▪Superconducting qubits require cooling to approximately 15 millikelvin, whereas silicon-spin qubits operate at a warmer temperature of approximately 1 Kelvin.
• ▪Silicon-spin qubits can be fabricated much smaller than superconducting circuits, enabling higher chip density while utilizing standard CMOS manufacturing equipment.

Boeing GM partnership continuation

• ▪Boeing and General Motors will continue to partner with IBM on quantum applications and advanced technology development after the acquisition of HRL Laboratories closes.
• ▪Boeing and General Motors see near-term value in quantum applications for aerospace simulation, materials discovery, and automotive supply-chain optimization.

Fault-tolerant quantum roadmap

• ▪IBM plans to deliver its Blue Jay quantum system, projected to perform 1 billion quantum operations, in the mid-2030s.
• ▪IBM's quantum roadmap targets the delivery of IBM Quantum Starling by 2029, which is projected to run 100 million quantum operations.