DENVER – The Global Business Development division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced today that the Colorado Quantum Incubator, Inc. (COQI), in partnership with Octave Photonics, was approved to receive a $500,000 Collaborative Infrastructure Grant through the Advanced Industries Accelerator (AIA) Program.
“Colorado has firmly established itself as a global leader in quantum innovation. Maintaining this momentum requires a sustained commitment to fostering growth and collaboration. By strengthening our physical infrastructure, deepening research partnerships, and building robust workforce pipelines, we ensure that Colorado remains the premier destination for the next generation of breakthrough technologies and high-quality jobs,” said Eve Lieberman, OEDIT Executive Director.
This funding will establish the Photonic Integrated Circuits Assembly Characterization and Test Facility (PICACTs), an open-access facility designed to eliminate a critical packaging and testing bottleneck within Colorado’s quantum industry. PICACTs will offer an advanced suite of tools alongside expert staff to train users and develop standardized workflows, preventing development delays and reducing regional dependency on external supply chains.
"The Colorado Quantum Incubator is proud to deepen our partnership with OEDIT to accelerate access to Colorado's first open-access photonic integrated circuit (PIC) packaging and test facility. Integrated photonics play a foundational role in quantum and quantum-adjacent systems, and this collaborative infrastructure grant will help us and our partners at Octave Photonics bring industry and researchers into the facility faster through a structured pilot program. Paired with a new short course covering PIC fundamentals, packaging techniques, and our facility's capabilities, this investment will strengthen Colorado's quantum ecosystem," said Chris Muldrow, Executive Director of COQI.
The Collaborative Infrastructure Grant provides funding for collaborative projects that build infrastructure to fill gaps for the advanced industries in Colorado. Projects must have multiple collaborative public-private partners, broad impacts across one or more advanced industries, and support capability growth within the identified industries through research, technology development, and manufacturing.
The AIA Program received nine applications for this grant opportunity. Applications were reviewed by a multi-disciplinary committee of business, technical and financial experts in the seven advanced industries. Final recommendations were approved by the Economic Development Commission on June 18, 2026.