en.Wedoany.com Reported - The second annual Global Quantum Forum (GQF), "Solving Grand Challenges," was held in Chicago from July 22 to 23, 2026. Hosted by P33 and the Illinois Economic Development Corporation (Illinois EDC) and presented by Ernst & Young, LLP, the forum focused on how quantum technology can address complex societal issues such as cybersecurity, energy system modernization, and medical breakthroughs.
Unlike conferences centered solely on quantum technology itself, GQF aims to serve as a convergence point for international leaders, including quantum companies, researchers, scientists, as well as business executives from industries such as finance, energy, and pharmaceuticals, global investors, and policymakers. This year's theme, "Solving Grand Challenges," emphasizes the potential of quantum technology to improve lives, strengthen economies, and help address increasingly complex global problems.
The forum agenda brought together over 60 prominent speakers. Speakers included Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Microsoft Executive Vice President Jason Zander, New York Times bestselling author Kara Swisher, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar, Exelon President and CEO Calvin Butler, WNBA Hall of Famer Candace Parker, and others. The forum kicked off with a fireside chat between Governor Pritzker and Kara Swisher, discussing how Illinois is positioning itself in the global quantum race, covering public and private investments and the launch of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP).
Illinois has become one of the world's leading quantum ecosystems, bringing together nationally recognized research universities, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermilab, IQMP, innovative startups, and established global companies. P33 and Illinois EDC also announced the Global Quantum Forum Fellowship program, whose inaugural cohort brings emerging leaders from research, industry, and policy in Australia, Canada, France, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States to Illinois.
Keynote speakers at GQF 2026 included Infleqtion CEO Matthew Kinsella and Exelon CEO Calvin Butler. Forum dialogues focused on topics such as investor decision-making, quantum governance gaps, energy systems, scientific discovery bottlenecks, quantum's role in computing history, quantum and artificial intelligence synergy, global diplomacy, and the limitations of classical computing. Speakers came from Microsoft, IBM, Google, PsiQuantum, Infleqtion, Cognizant, JPMorgan Chase, Allstate, Exelon, Southern Company, AbbVie, UL Solutions, the World Economic Forum, the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, as well as numerous universities, national laboratories, and government agencies. As a core event of TechChicago Week, TechChicago Week also includes 11 other core events and over 130 partner events across the city.
