The Signal
New York Study Puts State Second in Three Quantum Measures
A New York State study ranks the state second among nine benchmarks in operating quantum entities, research groups and patent families, while placing it third in state commitments. It identifies statewide coordination, facility access, tech
Quantum.world Team · Written with AI · fact-checked ·
Second place across three measures
A New York State study dated October 2026 ranks the state second to California in operating quantum entities, research groups and patent families. The report counts 134 operating entities, 219 research groups at principal-investigator level and 734 quantum patent families. Those numbers place New York near the top of the nine benchmark states the study compares, but the report does not present the ranking as a general measure of quantum leadership.
The study also places New York third among the benchmark states for total state commitments. It counts $608 million in confirmed quantum funding into New York since 2019, while separately listing an announced pipeline of $2.9 billion. The report cautions against adding those figures: 82 percent of the pipeline consists of three letters of intent signed in one month. Disclosed private capital into New York quantum companies stands at about $130 million.
Research, fabrication and buyers across the state
The report’s case for New York rests on a combination of research, industrial capacity and potential customers. Brookhaven National Laboratory leads the Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage, while IBM has quantum research operations in Yorktown Heights, systems and data-center activity in Poughkeepsie, and processor fabrication in Albany. New York City, Long Island and upstate universities add research groups; Rochester brings optics and photonics expertise, and Rome hosts federal research at the Air Force Research Laboratory.
That spread gives the state activity across the quantum value chain, from research and components to manufacturing and possible commercial use. The report points to financial services, healthcare and advanced manufacturing as sectors with potential demand, and cites JPMorganChase’s work on quantum randomness and hybrid quantum-classical optimization. But having assets in several regions does not by itself connect suppliers, researchers and buyers.
The report’s central concern is coordination
The study draws on 18 interviews across 17 organizations, conducted from July 21 to August 26, 2026, alongside its review of companies, research groups, patents and funding. The study’s authors write:
No single body currently coordinates the statewide quantum agenda, pathways from research to market are still developing, workforce development is not yet fully connected, and links between suppliers, technology companies and potential end users vary across the state.
The report groups its identified gaps into four areas: statewide coordination, access to testing and fabrication, technician training, and early-stage and production-scale capital. It says collaboration is stronger within individual clusters than across the state, and notes that contributors had trouble finding clear information about how to use existing facilities. Its proposed first steps include naming an official responsible for the statewide quantum agenda and publishing clearer access procedures for state-supported facilities.
$360 million in state initiatives
New York has committed $300 million to the Quantum Research and Innovation Hub at SUNY Stony Brook and $60 million to regional quantum commercialization hubs. The study models those two initiatives as supporting $2.3 billion to $5 billion in gross output and 7,200 to 10,100 job-years through 2036. A job-year represents one full-time job supported for one year; the report estimates roughly 1,000 to 1,200 recurring jobs when the assets operate at full capacity.
Those figures are projections, not guaranteed outcomes. The report’s economic-impact model covers the $360 million in quantum-specific initiatives and excludes broader semiconductor, photonics and computing investments. It says the state’s near-term test is whether the new hubs and Stony Brook project connect the existing regional capabilities—and whether businesses, researchers and potential customers can use those resources. The report’s immediate recommendation is to appoint a named owner for New York’s statewide quantum agenda.
Source note
Empire State Development’s Quantum Technology Landscape Study, October 2026