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Bluefors Lab Officially Opened at Hyde Park Labs in Chicago

5 min read
May 15, 2026
Panel discussion at the Bluefors Lab opening event in Chicago, with speakers seated on stage and an audience listening in a modern lab environment.

On May 12, we officially celebrated the opening of our second Bluefors Lab location in Chicago, located at Hyde Park Labs within the UChicago Science Incubator. The event brought together members of the local and national quantum ecosystem, including representatives from startups, academia, industry, and partner organizations.  

The Bluefors Lab at Hyde Park Labs expands access to cryogenic measurement infrastructure, essential for quantum technology development. The facility has been operational since the start of the year and provides users with access to a 580‑square‑foot lab space, with a cryogenic measurement system and associated measurement electronics, and offers on‑site technical expertise to help with lab operation. The lab is designed to support startup product development, collaboration, and experimentation within quantum technology fields.

Speaker holding a microphone and note, presenting at the Bluefors Lab opening event.
Speaker holding a microphone and phone, presenting at the Bluefors Lab opening event.
Audience listening to a speaker at the Bluefors Lab Chicago opening event.

The opening event began with remarks from Samir Mayekar, Managing Director of Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, University of Chicago, and Sauli Sinisalo, Vice President & General Manager of Bluefors. UChicago Science Incubator, gives early-stage life sciences, quantum, clean energy and data science companies access to state-of-the-art facilities, and is managed by the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in partnership with management company Portal Innovations. 

Panelists talking at the Bluefors Lab opening event.
Panelists talking at the Bluefors Lab opening event.
Panelists talking at the Bluefors Lab opening event.
Panelists talking at the Bluefors Lab opening event.
Audience smiling at the Bluefors Lab opening event.
Hanhee Paik, Director of Quantum Algorithm Centers at IBM, giving a keynote speech at the Bluefors Lab opening event.

The event featured a panel discussion titled From Measurement to Market: Enabling the Next Wave of Quantum Startups, focusing on how shared cryogenic measurement infrastructure can lower barriers for quantum hardware development and support commercialization. The panel brought together perspectives from across the quantum ecosystem and included Anna Grassellino (Director, SQMS Center, Fermilab), David Gunnarsson (Chief Business Development Officer, Bluefors), Brandon Severin CEO of Conductor Quantum), Kate Waimey Timmerman (CEO, Chicago Quantum Exchange), and Preeti Chalsani (SVP and Chief Quantum Officer, Illinois EDC; Business Development Lead, IQMP), moderated by Senior Technical Sales Manager Tamanna Joshi from Bluefors.

The program also included a keynote presentation by Hanhee Paik, Director of Quantum Algorithm Centers at IBM. In her talk, she highlighted IBM’s work on advancing quantum algorithms through its global network of Quantum Algorithm Centers, and discussed how close collaboration between industry, research institutions, and infrastructure providers supports progress in quantum applications.  

People discussing in a lab space at the Bluefors Lab opening event, with the cryogenic system in the background.
People discussing in a lab space at the Bluefors Lab opening event.
Bluefors employee smiling in the lab space at the Bluefors lab opening event.
Cryogenic system visible through glass wall at the Bluefors Lab, with an opening event display screen nearby.

Following the panel and keynote, guests were invited to guided tours of the new Bluefors Lab, where Technical Service Manager Nurul Huda showcased the setup. With the opening of the Bluefors Lab at Hyde Park Labs, Bluefors continues to strengthen its presence in the U.S. and support the growing quantum community in Chicago and beyond through shared measurement infrastructure and close collaboration with local partners.

If you’re looking to advance your quantum research and development, don’t hesitate to contact us.