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May

SIUE Named in IBM–Illinois Quantum Partnership Coverage

Posted May 20, 2026

IBM

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is featured in regional and statewide coverage of a major new technology investment in Illinois, with SIUE named as a university partner in IBM's expanding workforce development initiative.

Governor JB Pritzker and IBM announced the company's new FutureNow Chicago delivery center at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP), which will create 750 new full-time jobs in AI, cybersecurity, data science, quantum, and more. The facility will serve as both an innovation hub and a talent pipeline for Illinois residents, located within the IQMP's Quantum Works workforce development center on the former U.S. Steel South Works site on Chicago's South Side.

IBM also announced plans to offer internships through Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and Chicago State University, alongside a new paid City Colleges apprenticeship program — dubbed "Moonshot" — set to train 500 apprentices over the next five years.

SIUE Chancellor James T. Minor welcomed the partnership, noting that it represents "a powerful opportunity for SIUE to connect our students directly with a global technology leader and expand pathways into high-demand careers," and that through internships and co-ops, SIUE is "equipping our students to own tomorrow."

The IQMP is projected to generate up to $20 billion in economic impact and create thousands of jobs as Illinois continues to position itself as a global leader in next-generation technologies.