JLL’s recent Future of Quantum Real Estate report highlights a growing mismatch between the rapid evolution of quantum computing technology and the physical space needed to support it. While most quantum infrastructure today is clustered on university campuses, the firm expects private-sector participants to take on a much larger role over the next decade as commercialization accelerates.
Quantum computing uses qubits instead of traditional bits, enabling it to tackle highly complex problems. JLL frames quantum not as a replacement for conventional computing, but as a specialized, high-value compute layer within the broader digital infrastructure stack. As that layer develops, it will require purpose-built real estate and could form a distinct niche within the commercial property landscape.
According to the report, quantum real estate encompasses facilities that support quantum research, fabrication and deployment. JLL identified more than 240 quantum-related facilities globally, spanning nine asset types across 35 countries. Although some may be tempted to equate this with a new wave of data centers, the firm notes that quantum space requirements differ meaningfully from conventional compute environments.
Quantum installations often demand a room-within-a-room configuration that can house dilution refrigerators, vibration isolation systems and electromagnetic shielding, alongside traditional computing equipment. These setups also depend on low-latency fiber connections to classical computing infrastructure, including software, networks and data storage systems. Requirements can vary widely by technology type, with JLL calling out modalities such as topological, silicon spin, photonic, neutral-atom, trapped-ion and superconducting systems, each serving different potential use cases in fields like cybersecurity, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, logistics and finance.
Today, higher education institutions are the core anchors of most quantum ecosystems, drawing together specialized talent, government funding, corporate partnerships and research platforms. JLL describes a self-reinforcing cluster effect, in which the university campus becomes a de facto catalyst for a broader quantum district forming around it. Most existing facilities are relatively modest in scale, typically under 150,000 square feet, and are primarily occupied by academic, government or enterprise users through formal partnerships.
Single-tenant buildings still dominate the sector, but JLL notes that multi-technology hubs are beginning to appear. The firm cites IQMP, which hosts more than six quantum companies, and Quebec’s DistriQ, which could eventually accommodate as many as 30 firms. The overall footprint remains small, yet the sector is starting to move beyond academia. JLL reports that more than $4 billion in quantum-related real estate projects are planned or under construction worldwide, delivered through both ground-up development and adaptive reuse of existing assets.
Looking ahead, JLL expects quantum real estate to follow a path similar to life sciences space, migrating from predominantly public ownership toward greater private-sector participation through the mid-2030s. For real estate stakeholders, several dynamics bear watching. Site selection for quantum facilities may prioritize access to specialized talent as much as conventional factors such as land and power that drive data center deployment. Government funding has helped seed the ecosystem, but further commercialization will require additional private capital, likely favoring developers and investors who can move quickly as the technology and its facility requirements evolve.
Because multiple quantum modalities carry distinct technical and physical needs, JLL anticipates that generic building templates will be less viable. Instead, investors, developers and users will need to tailor facilities to specific technologies and partnerships. While quantum real estate remains a niche segment for now, JLL suggests that as quantum computing migrates from university laboratories into commercial applications, its supporting real estate will become an increasingly relevant component of the digital infrastructure landscape.
