IBM became the latest company to announce its plans to invest in the U.S. during the Trump administration.
On Monday, the tech firm unveiled a $150 billion investment plan in America over the next five years to “fuel the economy and to accelerate its role as the global leader in computing.”
At least $30 million will go toward research and development for American manufacturing of mainframe and quantum computers.
IBM is one of the nation's largest technology employers and has ushered in innovations that include the data processing systems that enabled the U.S. social security system, the Apollo Program that put a man on the moon, and power businesses in every industry.
That legacy continues in Poughkeepsie, New York, where we manufacture the cutting-edge mainframes that are the technology backbone of the American and global economies. More than 70% of the entire world's transactions by value run through the IBM mainframes that are manufactured right here in America.
IBM also operates the world's largest fleet of quantum computer systems, and will continue to design, build and assemble quantum computers in America. Quantum computing represents one of the biggest technology platform shifts and economic opportunities in decades and will solve problems that today's conventional computers cannot solve. Enabling these solutions will not only help us better understand the fundamentals of how the world works but are projected to transform American competitiveness, jobs, and national security. IBM's Quantum Network provides access to IBM's quantum systems for nearly 300 Fortune 500 companies, academic institutions, national laboratories, and startups and is accessed by over 600,000 active users.
Today's announcement reaffirms IBM's unwavering commitment to the future of American innovation, igniting new economic opportunity in the United States and around the world. (IBM)
"Technology doesn't just build the future — it defines it," said Arvind Krishna, IBM chairman, president and chief executive officer. "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."
The White House celebrated the news as another example of the "Trump effect."
Other recent investment announcements have come from Apple, Johnson & Johnson, Hyundai, NVIDIA, Softbank, Oracle, Eli Lilly, and OpenAI. Foreign investments in U.S. industries have also been announced by United Arab Emirates, Japan, Saudi Arabia and India.
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