The New Quantum Era
Regional Quantum Development with Alejandra Y. Castillo
The New Quantum Era
•January 19, 2026•32 min
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The New Quantum Era•Jan 19, 2026
Why It Matters
Quantum is no longer a distant curiosity; its near‑term applications are reshaping industries and national security, making regional readiness a strategic priority. By showing how coordinated policy, cross‑state collaborations, and inclusive workforce planning can turn quantum research into tangible economic opportunity, the episode offers a roadmap for communities that want to stay competitive and keep talent at home.
Key Takeaways
- •Quantum drives regional economic development across Midwest states.
- •Federal funding requires consistency to support inclusive quantum ecosystems.
- •Workforce mapping expands jobs beyond PhDs for quantum industry.
- •Cross‑state collaborations like Chicago Quantum Exchange accelerate innovation.
- •Inclusive planning prevents repeat of AI scramble in quantum era.
Pulse Analysis
In this episode, Alejandra Castillo, former Assistant Secretary for Economic Development, explains how the Midwest is becoming a quantum hub thanks to the Chips and Science Act, the Economic Development Administration, and NSF’s Engines program. By linking universities such as Illinois, Chicago, and Purdue with private players like Quantum Corridor, the region is turning nascent quantum computing, sensing, and communication research into concrete economic opportunities. The conversation highlights how federal dollars—though still modest compared with rival nations—seed collaborative consortia that bridge traditional manufacturing assets with emerging quantum technologies, positioning the Midwest as a national security asset.
Castillo stresses that a truly inclusive quantum workforce extends far beyond the PhD pipeline. Through initiatives like Purdue Northwest’s Roberts Impact Lab, the ecosystem is mapping both skill requirements and supply‑chain partners to create micro‑credential programs, apprenticeship pathways, and community‑level training. This holistic approach ties job creation to housing, transportation, and urban planning, ensuring that new quantum roles—ranging from hardware technicians to data‑science analysts—benefit a broad demographic. By aligning local government, nonprofits, and industry, the region can avoid the talent bottlenecks that have plagued earlier tech waves.
Finally, the discussion underscores the urgency of consistent federal investment. Quantum is framed as a national‑security imperative, with adversaries pouring billions into research while U.S. appropriations lag. Persistent funding, combined with cross‑state coalitions like the Chicago Quantum Exchange and the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, can sustain momentum and attract private capital from sectors such as biopharma. Inclusive planning, backed by reliable policy, promises to turn quantum from a speculative field into a robust economic engine, preventing the reactive scramble seen with AI and delivering long‑term benefits for communities across the country.
Episode Description
Alejandra Y. Castillo, former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development and now Chancellor Senior Fellow for Economic Development at Purdue University Northwest, joins your host, Sebastian Hassinger, to discuss how quantum technologies can drive inclusive regional economic growth and workforce development. She shares lessons from federal policy, Midwest tech hubs, and cross-state coalitions working to turn quantum from lab research into broad-based opportunity.
Themes and key insights
Quantum as near-term and multi-faceted: Castillo pushes back on the idea that quantum is distant, emphasizing that computing, sensing, and communications are already maturing and attracting serious investment from traditional industries like biopharma.
From federal de-risking to regional ecosystems: She describes the federal role as de-risking early innovation through programs under the CHIPS and Science Act while stressing that long-term success depends on regional coalitions across states, universities, industry, philanthropy, and local government.
Inclusive workforce and supply-chain planning: Castillo argues that “quantum workforce” must go beyond PhDs to include a mapped ecosystem of jobs, skills, suppliers, housing, and infrastructure so that local communities see quantum as opportunity, not displacement.
National security, urgency, and inclusion: She frames sustained quantum investment as both an economic and national security imperative, warning that inconsistent U.S. funding risks falling behind foreign competitors while also noting that private capital alone may ignore inclusion and regional equity.
Notable quotes
“We either focus on the urgency or we’re going to have to focus on the emergency.”
“No one state is going to do this… This is a regional play that we will be called to answer for the sake of a national security play as well.”
“We want to make sure that entire regions can actually reposition themselves from an economic perspective, so that people can stay in the places they call home—now we’re talking about quantum.”
“Are we going to make that same mistake again, or should we start to think about and plan how quantum is going to also impact us?”
Articles, papers, and initiatives mentioned
America's quantum future depends on regional ecosystems like Chicago's — Alejandra’s editorial in Crain’s Chicago Business calling for sustained, coordinated investment in quantum as a national security and economic priority, highlighting the role of the Midwest and tech hubs.
CHIPS and Science Act (formerly “Endless Frontier”) — U.S. legislation that authorized large-scale funding for semiconductors and science, enabling EDA’s Tech Hubs and NSF’s Engines programs to back regional coalitions in emerging technologies like quantum.
EDA Tech Hubs and NSF Engines programs — Federal initiatives that fund multi-state consortiums combining universities, companies, and civic organizations to build durable regional innovation ecosystems, including quantum-focused hubs in the Midwest.
National Quantum Algorithms Center — This center explores quantum algorithms for real-world problems such as natural disasters and biopharma discovery, aiming to connect quantum advances directly to societal challenges.
Roberts Impact Lab at Purdue Northwest (with Quantum Corridor) – A testbed and workforce development center focused on quantum, AI, and post-quantum cryptography, designed to prepare local talent and companies for quantum-era applications.
Chicago Quantum Exchange and regional partners (Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin) – A multi-university and multi-state collaboration that pioneered a model for regional quantum ecosystems.
Show Notes
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