In late 2017 and early 2018, construction advanced on the National Laboratory for Quantum Information Sciences in Hefei, Anhui Province. The facility was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) in January 2017, with Anhui Province allocating 37 hectares for Phase 1 construction.
Reports from Chinese and international media indicated the project carried a reported investment of up to 70 billion yuan (approximately $10 billion), making it the single largest quantum research facility investment announced globally. Pan Jianwei of USTC was installed as president of the associated CAS Quantum Information and Quantum Technology Innovation Academy.
According to Popular Science, the laboratory’s two major research goals were quantum metrology and building a quantum computer, with applications supporting both civilian innovation and national defense. The facility was part of the Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, China’s second such center after Shanghai.