Elevate Quantum is expanding its operations into the 35,000-square-foot Roadrunner Quantum Lab in Albuquerque’s Innovation District, joining Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories as an inaugural resident. The company will focus on open-access cryogenic testing and validation for superconducting quantum components, aiming to reduce technical risk and accelerate the path to commercialization, a critical challenge for the developing field.
“Commercializing quantum technologies requires more than great science—it requires the infrastructure, workforce and testing capabilities that allow companies to build, validate and scale,” says Jessi Olsen, CEO of Elevate Quantum. This new facility builds on Elevate Quantum’s existing regional network and its work coordinating a consortium of over 120 entities with $41 million in federal funding.
Roadrunner Quantum Lab Advances Component Validation and Benchmarking
The Roadrunner Quantum Lab in Albuquerque now hosts a dedicated facility for validating superconducting quantum components, addressing a critical bottleneck in the path to commercial quantum computers. Initial testing will focus on cryogenic performance, establishing standardized operating procedures in collaboration with industry and national laboratories to reduce technical risk for emerging technologies. This targeted approach aims to accelerate the transition from research prototypes to deployable quantum systems, a challenge that has historically slowed progress in the field.
The new lab’s capabilities extend beyond simple component testing, encompassing benchmarking methodologies designed to objectively assess performance across different quantum technologies. Beyond validation, the Roadrunner Quantum Lab will directly address the shortage of skilled technicians capable of operating and maintaining complex quantum infrastructure. Training programs will focus on practical skills including cryogenic systems operation, vacuum technology, helium leak detection and RF measurement, all essential for building and maintaining superconducting quantum computers.
This emphasis on hands-on experience is designed to rapidly upskill the workforce and accelerate the deployment of quantum technologies. This co-location encourages collaboration and knowledge sharing between private companies, government researchers and academic institutions, accelerating the pace of innovation. The expansion into New Mexico builds on its existing network of shared quantum infrastructure across the Mountain West, including a Cryogenic Testing Lab opened in 2025 with a dilution refrigerator reaching 10 millikelvin and a Q-PAC open-architecture quantum system.
Investment in workforce development extends beyond the Roadrunner lab, with industry-grade training programs launched in partnership with Front Range Community College and the University of Denver. This comprehensive approach, combining advanced testing facilities with targeted training programs, positions New Mexico as a key player in the emerging quantum landscape.
“Our move into the Roadrunner Quantum Lab gives us an opportunity to build those capabilities alongside some of the best companies and national laboratories in the country,” Olsen added. “New Mexico is making a serious investment in becoming a place where quantum technologies don’t just get invented, but where they get tested, commercialized and deployed.”
Commercializing quantum technologies requires more than great science-it requires the infrastructure, workforce and testing capabilities that allow companies to build, validate and scale.
Jessi Olsen, CEO of Elevate Quantum
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