Thank you, Governor Polis, for that introduction, and for your support for this project every step of the way. I’d also like to thank Senators Hickenlooper and Bennet, and the entire Colorado delegation for their partnership in making the Tech Hubs program a reality. Hello everyone! I’m so pleased to be here to celebrate this important milestone with you all.

I’d also like to thank Zach Yerushalmi and the whole Elevate Quantum team for their incredible work to make today possible, as well as the Colorado School of Mines for helping the site on which we’re standing today, Sethuraman Panch for his collaboration with the Tech Hub, and CU Boulder for their close partnership.

Over at the Department of Commerce, we are committed to fostering the future of critical and emerging technologies and using place-based economic strategies to spread the benefits of these technologies to every corner of our country. Thanks to our Economic Development Administration and National Institute of Standards and Technology, that commitment is stronger than ever – and it’s taken root right here in Colorado.

We’re all here today because we see the promise of quantum and how quantum technologies have the power to drive our economy and our world. And we’re standing on the 70-acre site of the Elevate Quantum Tech Hub.

The consortium has been awarded $41 million by EDA, and the impact of that funding will be transformative. Elevate Quantum is on the cutting edge of quantum and will use this site to continue our legacy of leadership – tapping into regional expertise and assets, including leading national laboratories, unlocking
transformative technologies needed to move quantum-based products to market, and creating thousands of new jobs for American workers.

And make no mistake: this is all part of a larger effort. When President Biden signed the CHIPS & Science Act into law, he allowed Commerce and EDA to do what it does best: empower communities.

Through the $504 million Tech Hubs Program, we’ve been able to invest in and help grow local economies in often-overlooked places, advance America’s economic competitiveness, strengthen our national and economic security, and expand access to the American Dream.

Elevate Quantum is the embodiment of that. As one of 12 Tech Hubs across 14 states, it’s a vital engine of innovation, of global competitiveness, and of creation that will not only safeguard this community’s economic future but help write the next chapter of this country. And it’s thanks to their tireless work, as well as the support of dedicated stakeholders across local, state, and federal government, industry, and academia.

We look forward to breaking ground with you today and working together to build a brighter future for Colorado, for America.

Now, I’d like to introduce Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen. As a freshman member of the House, the Congresswoman has already become a leader in emerging technology through her work on the Bipartisan AI Task Force. Please join me in welcoming a great advocate for growing the industries of the future in Colorado, Congresswoman Pettersen.