Inside PsiQuantum’s $1 Billion Plan to Build the World’s First Useful Quantum Computer in Brisbane

Brisbane has been selected as the site for one of the most ambitious technology projects ever undertaken in the world, the development of the world’s first utility-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer by Silicon Valley-based company PsiQuantum. Backed by nearly $1 billion in joint federal and Queensland government funding, the project involves building a massive quantum computing facility on land within the Brisbane Airport industrial precinct, with the goal of achieving operational launch by the end of 2027.

PsiQuantum, co-founded by former University of Queensland alumni, is creating its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Brisbane as part of the deal. The new facility will be built on airport-owned land near the Qantas maintenance hangars, chosen for its robust infrastructure, power access and proximity to research institutions. Once completed, the complex is expected to house more than 400 highly specialised staff working across quantum engineering, cryogenics, photonics and software.

The project’s centrepiece will be a warehouse-scale structure designed to house thousands of quantum computing modules cooled to cryogenic temperatures. Unlike other quantum computers that rely on superconducting circuits and operate near absolute zero, PsiQuantum’s system uses photons, particles of light as qubits. This allows the machine to function at around four Kelvin, or minus 269 degrees Celsius, a significantly warmer and more manageable environment that supports larger scaling.

The system is based on silicon photonic chips that can be produced using conventional semiconductor manufacturing methods and interconnected using optical fibre, allowing thousands of chips to work together as one massive quantum processor.

A critical piece of this development is a new agreement announced early this month between PsiQuantum and Linde Engineering to build a massive cryogenic cooling plant on the Brisbane site. Linde Engineering, a global leader in industrial gas and cryogenics, announced it has signed on to design and deliver a custom cryogenic cooling system for PsiQuantum.

This plant will be one of the largest cryogenic facilities ever constructed for quantum computing, designed to achieve temperatures in the 4 Kelvin range (around –269 °C). At these temperatures (just above the temperature of outer space), the quantum computer’s components can operate reliably. The Linde cryoplant will cool an array of cryogenic enclosures (cabinets) containing PsiQuantum’s new “Omega” photonic quantum chips and associated systems. By maintaining a steady ~4 K environment, the plant ensures the qubits (quantum bits) are kept free from thermal noise and environmental interference, which is essential for stable quantum computation.

Linde brings deep expertise to the table, having installed over 500 cryogenic plants worldwide across semiconductor manufacturing, MRI, particle accelerators and other high-tech domains. The Brisbane cryogenic facility will leverage this know-how, incorporating proven industrial technology to meet PsiQuantum’s needs.

John van der Velden, Linde Engineering’s SVP of Sales & Technology, said the collaboration combines both companies’ expertise to “drive advancements in technology and innovation”, enabling PsiQuantum’s ambitious vision. PsiQuantum’s CEO Jeremy O’Brien highlighted a key advantage of their design: “Photons don’t feel heat the way matter-based qubits do. Our systems can run 100 times warmer”, he noted, referring to the 4 K operating temperature as roughly 100× higher than what other quantum platforms require.

This is a fundamental scaling advantage and a key reason we are able to move rapidly toward utility-scale quantum computing

Jeremy O’Brien

In short, the new PsiQuantum-Linde agreement ensures that Brisbane’s quantum computer will be supported by a state-of-the-art cryogenic infrastructure, without which the machine could not function. The plant will produce the ultra-cold helium-based refrigeration needed to keep tens of thousands of photonic chips at 4 K and operational, making it an indispensable component of the entire project.

Construction on the facility is expected to begin in 2025, with a partial operational launch targeted for 2027. PsiQuantum’s longer-term goal is to scale the system to around one million physical qubits by 2029, enabling full fault tolerance through quantum error correction. This would represent a turning point in computing history, giving the machine the capacity to solve commercially meaningful problems beyond the capability of any conventional supercomputer. Applications range from materials science and drug discovery to transport optimisation and climate modelling.

Facility Design and Construction Plans

The quantum computing campus being developed by PsiQuantum at Brisbane Airport will comprise three main structures supported by critical infrastructure. The project is designed to function as a long-term hub for research, development and commercial quantum computing operations.

Additional infrastructure will include a high-capacity power connection, water cooling systems, heat rejection equipment and secure data connectivity. The site design also allows for a visitor or collaboration centre and future system expansions. The campus is intended to support continuous development beyond the first system, with future generations of quantum hardware expected to be designed and operated from the same location.

The company has also partnered with a network of Queensland universities – UQ, QUT, Griffith, USC and USQ to help build a local skills pipeline in quantum technology. A temporary cryogenic test lab is due to open at Griffith University’s Nathan campus in 2025, allowing PsiQuantum to begin testing chip modules and subsystems in parallel with construction of the main site. It’s expected that much of the workforce will be locally trained, marking a significant investment not just in infrastructure, but in domestic capability.

From a global perspective, this project places Brisbane in rare company. While IBM, Google and others continue to develop quantum processors in the US, most are still in the hundreds-of-qubits range and not yet fault-tolerant. China has announced several large-scale quantum milestones but remains relatively closed in terms of transparency and industry collaboration. PsiQuantum’s approach, built around photonic qubits and modular scale-out, is being watched closely by the global scientific community as one of the most plausible paths to a genuinely useful quantum computer.

Importantly, this is not just an experimental system or academic research platform, it’s designed from the outset to be commercially applicable. If successful, the Brisbane-based computer could be used by industries around the world to model complex molecules, simulate quantum chemistry, and optimise large-scale networks in ways that classical computers cannot. The backing from both levels of government reflects a strategic play to anchor this capability in Australia, rather than risk watching it develop offshore.

The implications for Brisbane are far-reaching. Beyond the immediate construction and jobs boost, the presence of such a facility repositions the city as a centre for global tech innovation. It’s likely to attract adjacent investment in advanced manufacturing, software development, and clean energy modelling. It also signals a broader shift in Australia’s approach to high-impact technology development, bringing world-leading infrastructure and expertise back onshore, with sovereign control and home-grown talent.

In the words of PsiQuantum’s co-founders, the move represents a kind of return. After years abroad building their company in California, they’re now bringing it home, not just to tap into local support, but to make Brisbane a global quantum capital. If the timelines hold and the technology delivers, the world’s most powerful quantum computer could soon be operating from a warehouse near the Brisbane Airport, a facility unlike anything else in the southern hemisphere, and a serious leap forward in the city’s evolution as a tech and innovation hub.

Project Timeline and Key Milestones

The Brisbane quantum computer initiative has moved quickly from announcement to implementation. Below is an outline of major milestones and the projected timeline for the project:

• April 2024 – Funding Announcement: The Prime Minister and Queensland Premier jointly announced a nearly $1 billion investment deal to bring PsiQuantum’s project to Brisbane. The federal and state governments each pledged $470 million in a combination of grants, equity, and loans to PsiQuantum. This agreement was accompanied by PsiQuantum’s decision to relocate its core operations from California to Queensland.
• Mid-2024 – Academic Partnerships: In July 2024, five Queensland universities (including UQ, Griffith, QUT, USQ, and USC) signed a partnership with PsiQuantum to align education and training with the project’s needs. This will reshape science and engineering curricula to produce the quantum engineers, technicians, and software specialists required. It marked an early step in building the local talent pipeline for the facility.
• Late 2024 – Site Secured & HQ Opening: By late 2024, PsiQuantum had secured a site at Brisbane Airport through an agreement with BAC. Simultaneously, the company opened its new Asia-Pacific headquarters in Brisbane’s CBD, establishing a corporate and engineering office in the city. PsiQuantum’s Australian team began expanding across Brisbane (as well as smaller teams in Sydney and Canberra), hiring for roles in construction project management, industry partnerships, and quantum engineering.
• Early 2025 – Test Laboratory Launch: In early 2025, PsiQuantum is set to open a Test & Characterisation Lab at Griffith University’s Nathan Campus in Brisbane. This interim lab facility will house a cryogenic test system powerful enough to cool and characterise the quantum computing modules that will later be integrated into the full Brisbane computer. Overseen by Professor Geoff Pryde (PsiQuantum Australia’s Chief Technical Director and a Griffith academic) and Dr. Dylan Saunders, this lab will enable the team to validate components and subsystems on a smaller scale before the main system is operational.
• 2025 – Construction Commencement: Site works and construction for the quantum computing center are expected to ramp up through 2025. According to project sources, the goal is to begin building the main facility in 2025 on the Brisbane Airport land. During this phase, the focus is on constructing the specialised buildings – the warehouse-scale quantum computer hall, the cryogenic plant building, and office/research spaces. By securing contractors and finalising designs in 2024, PsiQuantum aims to accelerate the build in 2025 so that critical infrastructure (power, cooling, shielding) is ready for equipment installation by the following year.
• May 2025 – Cryoplant Agreement: PsiQuantum’s partnership with Linde Engineering was formalised in May 2025, as noted above. This milestone locks in the delivery of the custom cryogenic cooling plant, with design and engineering already underway. The timeline for the cryoplant likely aligns with the overall construction schedule – Linde will fabricate and assemble the cooling system components (potentially off-site in modules) and then install them at the Brisbane facility in time to support initial commissioning of the quantum computer hardware.
• Late 2026 – Early 2027 – Installation & Testing: By late 2026, building construction is expected to be largely complete, allowing the installation of PsiQuantum’s quantum computing hardware, including thousands of photonic chip modules and the fiber-optic network linking them. Throughout 2027, PsiQuantum will integrate the photonic chips (their “Omega” processors) into the cryogenic cabinets on site and begin rigorous testing. Given the scale, this process will likely be done in stages, bringing online one module or section at a time and verifying stability.
• End of 2027 – Operational Launch: PsiQuantum has stated an “aggressive plan” to have the Brisbane quantum computer operational by the end of 2027. This does not necessarily mean the computer will be at full capacity, but that a first version of the system should be up and running with a subset of qubits and demonstrating key functionality. It would mark the world’s first utility-scale quantum computer if achieved on schedule, a significant milestone for Brisbane on the global stage.
• 2028–2029 – Scaling to Fault Tolerance: Following the initial launch, PsiQuantum will work on scaling up the system to reach full fault-tolerant capability. The goal is to implement robust quantum error correction such that the machine’s logical qubits are stable and error-free for practical use. PsiQuantum and government backers hope to achieve a fully error-corrected, commercially useful quantum computer by 2029. This phase will involve adding more photonic modules, refining error-correcting codes, and ramping up to the target of roughly 1 million physical qubits in the system. Hitting this milestone would fulfill the promise of the project: a quantum computer capable of tackling real-world problems reliably, far beyond the capability of classical supercomputers.

In July, just months after unveiling its Brisbane plans, PsiQuantum announced it would also develop a second quantum computing facility in Chicago, backed by a $US1 billion funding commitment from the state of Illinois, Cook County and the City of Chicago.

According to Dr Pete Shadbolt, the system proposed for the US will mirror the one being constructed in Brisbane. “We’re doing the same stuff in both locations,” he said, noting that the company ultimately intends to build even more advanced systems in Brisbane. “We hope we’ll look back on those early systems and say they were pretty wimpy.”

Just days ago, NVIDIA has reportedly been in advanced talks to invest in PsiQuantum as part of a $750 million funding round, marking the tech giant’s first direct move into quantum hardware. The deal would reportedly value PsiQuantum at nearly $6 billion and signals a significant shift in NVIDIA’s strategy as it looks beyond classical computing and AI acceleration toward next-generation quantum platforms.