Quantum chokepoints: The industrial ceiling of the tech race
Logistics, supplies of key elements constrain next-level computing
By Macdonald Amoah, Morgan D. Bazilian and Jahara Matisek
In January 2026, IonQ announced a $1.8 billion acquisition of SkyWater Technology, a U.S. semiconductor foundry, to secure domestic fabrication and hardware production capacity. The deal was framed as a step toward building fault-tolerant quantum machines at scale. However, it was a stunning move, because a company built on the mind-bending principles of quantum physics was buying a firm that specializes in the familiar world of silicon chips.
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