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Silicon Valley-founded quantum computing company PsiQuantum has relocated the planned site of its Australian quantum computer from Brisbane Airport to Moreton Bay Central, a developing precinct in the City of Moreton Bay, with early site works under way and a formal groundbreaking scheduled for June 2026.
The move comes about two years after the Australian and Queensland governments committed around $940 million (US$620 million) in combined funding to build what PsiQuantum has billed as the world's first utility-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer on Australian soil.
That announcement in April 2024 named Brisbane Airport as the host site and targeted the facility being operational by the end of 2027, although this has now been pushed out to 2029.
“PsiQuantum's mission to build the world's first utility-scale quantum computer requires speed, agility and strong partnerships,” says Victor Peng, interim CEO of PsiQuantum.
“City of Moreton Bay provides the infrastructure, scalability and collaborative environment we need to deliver.
"We look forward to continued partnership with City of Moreton Bay and our partners in the federal and Queensland governments to move this project forward and realise this technology.”
The Moreton Bay Central precinct is home to the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Moreton Bay campus and is the future site of a Technical and Further Education (TAFE) Centre of Excellence dedicated to advanced manufacturing.
The precinct is developing on the site of the former Petrie Paper Mill, which is equipped to support large-scale industrial operations and has the power and utility infrastructure needed for complex manufacturing.
PsiQuantum's head of Australian operations Robert Lindwall says Brisbane Airport Corporation had been "a constructive partner" and thanked the airport precinct for its early support before the project settled on Moreton Bay Central as its permanent home.
Brisbane Airport Corporation general manager commercial Scott Norris wished the project well in its new location.
"Quantum computing will deliver great benefits for Queensland, from accelerating breakthroughs in health and climate science to strengthening the state’s advanced industries and we look forward to seeing the positive impacts PsiQuantum will achieve,” he says.
City of Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery says the project will put Moreton Bay on the global stage, describing the quantum facility as a cornerstone of the region's long-term economic development.
“This investment will help drive highly skilled jobs, attract new industry, and strengthen Queensland’s position in advanced manufacturing and future technologies," says Flannery.
"Moreton Bay Central is becoming a destination for businesses looking to grow alongside a skilled workforce, strong infrastructure and leading education and training institutions.”
City of Moreton Bay CEO Scott Waters says the council had worked closely with PsiQuantum and state and federal agencies to ensure the site met the company's technical and logistical requirements, adding that the relocation reflected the strength of the Moreton Bay Central masterplan.
“Welcoming PsiQuantum to Moreton Bay Central is a major milestone for our city,” says Waters.
“This precinct is designed to bring together industry, research and community, and this project will help drive long-term innovation, investment and jobs for Moreton Bay Central and Queensland.”
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