IBM has announced that it plans to invest a whopping $150 billion in America over the next five years. The goal is to supercharge the US economy and solidify IBM's position as a top player in global computing.
Part of this massive commitment includes pumping more than $30 billion into research and development. This specific chunk is aimed at boosting and keeping the manufacturing of IBM's mainframe and quantum computers right here in the US.
IBM Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer Arvind Krishna weighed in on the news, stating:
Technology doesn't just build the future — it defines it. We have been focused on American jobs and manufacturing since our founding 114 years ago, and with this investment and manufacturing commitment we are ensuring that IBM remains the epicenter of the world's most advanced computing and AI capabilities.
IBM has a long history in the US, being one of the nation's biggest tech employers and behind groundbreaking resources like the data systems for Social Security or the tech that helped the Apollo Program get to the moon. That story continues in Poughkeepsie, New York. This is where IBM makes the cutting-edge mainframes that keep the global and American economies running. The company points out that over 70 percent of all worldwide transactions by value happen on IBM mainframes built in America.
Shifting gears, IBM also runs the world's biggest lineup of quantum computer systems. The company plans to keep designing, building, and putting these complex machines together in the US. IBM sees quantum computing as a huge tech shift and economic chance, capable of tackling problems that today's computers cannot handle. Enabling these solutions, IBM says, will not only help us understand the world better but is expected to boost American competitiveness, create jobs, and strengthen national security.
This major investment from IBM comes at a time when other big tech companies are also pledging significant spending in the United States. Just two months ago, Apple announced its intention to spend over $500 billion in the US over the next four years, focusing on areas like advanced manufacturing, AI infrastructure, silicon development, and workforce training.
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