Host City: Chicago, IL
July 22-23, 2026
This year, we’re taking on some of the most consequential questions shaping our future, beginning with how quantum will influence the world around us.
GQF26 will explore society’s grand challenges — the defining opportunities and toughest problems of our time — and the ways quantum may help address them across interconnected economic, scientific, and social systems, from pharma, finance, energy, climate, and beyond.
2026 Agenda-at-a-Glance (times are in CT)
TUESDAY, JULY 21ST
Registration 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
WEDNESDAY, JULY 22ND
Registration | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Breakfast | 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Opening Remarks | 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Speakers: Christy George, President and CEO, IL EDC; and Rashid Bashir, Dean of The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Opening Fireside: A Conversation with Kara Swisher | 9:30 AM – 10:15 AM
A candid fireside conversation between Kara Swisher and TBA special guest on how Illinois is staking its claim in the global quantum race—from bold public-private investments to the launch of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park.
Keynote | 10:15 AM – 10:30 AM
Speakers: Matt Kinsella, CEO of Infleqtion
Break | 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM
As AI Scales, Quantum Enters the Equation | 10:15 AM – 10:30 AM
Artificial intelligence is already transforming industries—but its rapid growth is exposing new limits around compute, energy, and scalability. This panel explores how quantum technologies may shape the next era of computing, and what that means for industries ranging from finance and healthcare to national security and advanced manufacturing. Panelists will discuss how leaders are navigating the convergence of AI and quantum—and why the future of global competitiveness may depend on who leads in both.
The Long Bet: How Investors Decide What Quantum Is Worth — and When | 11:50 AM – 12:30 PM
As quantum technologies move from research labs toward commercialization, investment decisions made today will help determine which companies, regions, and nations emerge as leaders in the next era of innovation. This panel explores how investors are evaluating the quantum landscape amid rising global competition, growing government involvement, and long development timelines. Beyond venture capital alone, the discussion will examine what it takes to build sustainable innovation ecosystems—and why the race to finance frontier technologies increasingly matters to economic and geopolitical leadership.
Lunch | 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM
Fireside | 1:45 PM – 2:15 PM
Fireside chat TBA
The Quantum Governance Gap: Security, Trust, and Who Sets the Rules | 2:25 PM – 3:05 PM
As quantum technologies advance, they are quickly becoming central to some of today’s most pressing global challenges—from national security to economic competitiveness and information integrity. This panel brings together leaders across government, research, and technology to explore how policy and international collaboration can shape the responsible development and deployment of quantum. Panelists will discuss the intersection of security, public trust, and innovation, offering a clear, non-technical view into how policy decisions made today will define the global quantum landscape for years to come.
Break | 3:05 PM – 3:35 PM
Can Quantum Break the Bottleneck in Scientific Discovery? | 3:35 PM – 4:15 PM
Many of the hardest problems in biology and chemistry are becoming computational bottlenecks. Scientific discovery is increasingly constrained not by imagination, but by compute power. As researchers push the limits of molecular modeling, simulation, and prediction, many of the hardest problems in biology and chemistry are becoming too complex for classical systems alone.
This panel explores how quantum computing could reshape the future of discovery—from drug development and materials science to AI-driven research and national competitiveness. Panelists will discuss why industries are beginning to view scientific innovation as a compute challenge, what breakthroughs may emerge from quantum-enabled simulation, and why early leadership in this space could define the next era of global innovation.
Keynote | 4:25 PM – 4:40 PM
Keynote remarks to be announced.
Powering Grand Challenges: The Energy Systems Behind Breakthroughs | 4:40 PM – 5:20 PM
Energy sits at the center of some of today’s most pressing global challenges—from decarbonization to the exponential growth of compute. As quantum technologies advance, they present both new demands on the grid and new opportunities to transform how energy systems are designed and optimized. This panel explores how leaders are navigating this dual challenge: ensuring the infrastructure exists to support emerging technologies, while unlocking quantum’s potential to address the complexity of the modern energy landscape.
THURSDAY, JULY 23RD
Registration | 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Breakfast | 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Opening Remarks | 9:00 AM – 9:10 AM
Opening Fireside| 9:10 AM – 9:40 AM
Fireside chat to be announced.
Why Finance & Insurance Are Reaching the Limits of Classical Computing | 9:40 AM – 10:10 AM
Finance and insurance increasingly depend on models that are struggling to keep up with real-world complexity—especially when it comes to uncertainty, rare events, and large-scale optimization. As these problems grow in size and realism, the gap between what institutions need to compute and what current systems can reliably handle is becoming more urgent.
Quantum Without Borders? Why Cooperation May Decide Who Wins | 10:20 AM – 11:00 AM
As quantum technologies advance, they are reshaping how nations think about power, security, and global influence. This panel examines the role of international cooperation in accelerating innovation while navigating strategic competition across regions. Panelists will explore how alliances, policy alignment, and shared investment can unlock progress on global challenges—and why leadership in quantum will be defined not just by capability, but by collaboration.
Break | 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM
From AI to Quantum: What Enterprise Leaders Need to Do Now | 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
As AI reshapes how companies operate today, the next wave of computing is already on the horizon. In this fireside chat, the CEOs of TransUnion and Cognizant explore how enterprise leaders should think about what comes next. From scaling AI across the business to preparing for the long-term impact of quantum, this conversation will focus on where the real opportunities—and risks—lie, and what actions organizations should be taking now to stay ahead.
Closing Remarks | 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM
Keynote remarks to be announced.
*this agenda is subject to change
2025 Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
Lead Sponsors
Reception Sponsor
Major Sponsors
2026 Speakers & Special Guests
Jason Zander
Microsoft
Executive Vice President
Kara Swisher
New York Times Best-Selling Author, Host of On With Kara Swisher & Pivot Podcasts, Editor-At-Large At New York Magazine
Paul Poast
Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago
Senior Nonresident Fellow, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Kathleen Hicks
Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense
Drew Propson
World Economic Forum
Head, Technology and Innovation in Financial Services
Howard Jacob
AbbVie
VP, Quantitative Medicine & Genomics, Distinguished Research Fellow
Ravi Kumar S
Cognizant
Chief Executive Officer
Chris Cartwright
TransUnion
President & Chief Executive Officer
Event Organizers
FAQs
Where is GQF26?
Global Quantum Forum 2026 will be held at Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, located at 221 N Columbus Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601. The venue is conveniently situated in downtown Chicago on the lakefront, within walking distance of Millennium Park, the Chicago Riverwalk, and major attractions.
Conference dates are July 22-23, 2026, with an Opening Reception on July 21, 2026.
I am local to Chicago, what is the easiest way to get to the venue?
Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel is easily accessible by public transportation:
· CTA Train: The nearest L stations are State/Lake (Orange, Green, Pink, Purple, Brown Lines) and Washington/Wabash (Orange, Green, Pink, Purple, Brown Lines), both approximately 0.5 miles from the venue
· CTA Bus: Routes 3, 4, 6, 134, 135, 136, 146, and 147 stop within walking distance
· Metra: Millennium Station is approximately 0.3 miles from the venue
· Rideshare: Drop-off is available at the main entrance on Columbus Drive
Is there parking available on site?
The Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel has a large, covered garage with self-parking offered at $59/night. The Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel also offers valet parking (in and out privileges) for $75/night. Please note that rates are subject to change.
Is lodging available?
We have secured a discounted room block at the conference venue for the conference dates.
Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel Discounted rate: $275/night
To book, use this booking link. To qualify for the Group Room Rate, you must make your reservations by Tuesday, June 30, 2026.
Rooms are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
How much does it cost to attend GQF26?
Registration fees vary by attendee type:
· General Admission: $599
· Academic: $399
· Government/Nonprofit: $399
Press passes are complimentary but require verification of media credentials.
All fees include access to plenary sessions, breakout sessions, networking events, meals, and conference materials.
Can I forward my invitation to a colleague?
Invitations are non-transferable. If you have a colleague who would benefit from attending, please have them contact us directly at registration@globalquantumforum.com. We’re happy to consider additional participants from invited organizations if additional spots open up.
I already registered but can no longer attend. Am I able to have someone attend in my place?
Registrations are non-transferable. If you have an executive-level colleague who would benefit from attending in your place, please have them contact us directly at registration@globalquantumforum.com.
I have additional registration questions, who can I ask?
For registration assistance, please contact our registration team: Email: registration@globalquantumforum.com Response time: We typically respond within 1-2 business days.