Η IBM εξαγοράζει τα HRL Laboratories από Boeing και GM

IBM International Business Machines Corporation ↗ 3.65% announced on Tuesday that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire HRL Laboratories, a private research and development institution jointly owned by Boeing The Boeing Company ↗ 0.14% and General Motors ↗ 2.44%, in a deal that adds a second qubit technology to the company's quantum computing roadmap.Investing.com+1

A Two-Track Quantum Strategy

HRL Laboratories, based in Malibu, California, specializes in silicon-spin qubit engineering and quantum sensing technologies. The acquisition pairs HRL's electron spin qubit expertise with IBM's existing superconducting qubit approach, both of which rely on silicon fabrication methods.Finimize+1

"The HRL team will help IBM push even farther forward toward the frontiers of quantum innovation," said Jay Gambetta, IBM's Director of Research and IBM Fellow. Rob Vasquez, HRL's president and CEO, said the company looks forward to leveraging IBM's industry leadership and working alongside its talent on fundamental infrastructure.Investing.com

Boeing and General Motors, which have jointly owned HRL since its founding, will continue to partner with IBM on quantum applications after the transaction closes.Investing.com

Fitting Into IBM's Quantum Roadmap

The deal arrives weeks after IBM announced in June a commitment of more than $10 billion to quantum computing over five years, spanning research, manufacturing, ecosystem partnerships, and mergers and acquisitions. That investment package included the establishment of Anderon, billed as America's first quantum wafer foundry, backed by $1 billion in CHIPS Act incentives.IBM Newsroom+1

IBM's quantum roadmap calls for delivering IBM Quantum Starling by 2029, designed to run 100 million quantum operations on 200 qubits, followed by the Blue Jay system in the mid-2030s, projected to handle 1 billion quantum operations.ibm.com+1

HRL brings capabilities in cryogenics, control electronics, qubit interconnects, packaging, and advanced materials, areas that could support both IBM's near-term superconducting systems and its longer-term exploration of silicon-spin architectures.Investing.com

Deal Terms and Timeline

Financial terms were not disclosed. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, with completion anticipated by the end of the third quarter of 2026.Investing.com