UCLA Launches SoCal Quantum Alliance to Anchor Regional Innovation

UCLA has announced the formation of the SoCal Quantum Alliance (SQA), a powerhouse coalition designed to serve as Southern California’s strategic anchor for quantum research, workforce development, and industrial scaling. Founding members include Caltech, USC, JPL, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, and Cal State San Marcos, alongside industry leaders such as Boeing, HRL Laboratories, IBM, and Cisco. The alliance acts as the regional implementation arm of the statewide Quantum California initiative, aiming to bridge the gap between fundamental breakthroughs and commercial applications while building a diverse "quantum-smart" workforce.

A central component of the alliance is the Quantum Innovation Hub (QIH), which will occupy 40,000 square feet of "prime real estate" at the newly established UCLA Research Park (the site of the former Westside Pavilion). Directed by Professor Jason Petta, the Hub is scheduled for initial occupancy in late 2027 and is planned to triple in size over the next decade. By collocating academic researchers with startups and government partners like the NSF Challenge Institute for Quantum Computation (CIQC), the Hub aims to accelerate the translation of laboratory science into real-world capabilities in sensing, secure communications, and materials science.

The SQA is explicitly designed to be inclusive, creating educational pathways through community colleges and state universities to ensure the emerging quantum economy lifts a broad range of talent across California. This regional coordination follows decades of Southern California leadership in the field—from Feynman’s early lectures at Caltech to current efforts in distributed quantum entanglement and trapped-ion sensors. By aligning the research powerhouses of the "Quantum Coast," the alliance seeks to secure California's position as the global epicenter for the 22nd-century technological landscape.

Read the full announcement from UCLA here, explore the mission of the Quantum Innovation Hub here, and refer to our previous coverage on the transformation of the Westside Pavilion into a quantum center here.

February 13, 2026