George Mason University and Oxford-based frontier computing company TreQ announced a groundbreaking partnership this week to bring open-architecture quantum infrastructure to the Commonwealth of Virginia beginning with the first open-architecture quantum computing system in the state and National Capital Region.
“The opportunity for the Commonwealth of Virginia is significant. Experts project that quantum will create a multi-trillion-dollar economy within the decade, and the states that build workforce and infrastructure now will lead in the future,” said George Mason President Gregory Washington. “George Mason has spent nearly a decade boldly building the foundation for this moment. Bringing an open-architecture quantum computing system to our university and making it available to our students and faculty, our partners, the region, and state is the kind of collaborative innovation that will advance Virginia’s continued successes.”
Located on one of George Mason’s Northern Virginia campuses, the system will be the first U.S. deployment of a computing system based on TreQ’s proprietary Open Architecture Quantum (OAQ) framework. With strategic support from Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) and TreQ, George Mason is investing in the new $7.7 million system planned for delivery and installation in early 2027, with commissioning expected by late summer 2027. The university commercialization and researcher recruitment grant from VIPC is helping to catalyze and attract strategic industry investment and additional philanthropy support for Virginia’s ecosystem.
“Open architecture widens the path for innovation, allowing for different quantum processors, software, networking, and other technologies as they mature, rather than a single integration approach,” said TreQ CEO and Founder Mandy Birch. “That gives established companies, startups, and researchers a place to build, test, and integrate, and move the field forward faster. This first deployment creates a foundation Virginia can keep building on, and we’re glad to be part of George Mason’s vision for what comes next.”
TreQ will design, deploy, and operate the new built-to-evolve quantum computing infrastructure at George Mason, collaborate on research and curriculum, and connect Virginia and the region with companies and innovators across the global quantum technology ecosystem.