Cryogenic measurement systems specialist Bluefors has expanded its Syracuse, New York, facility by nearly 45% and will now manufacture dilution refrigerators at the location, marking a first for the company in the US.
The Syracuse site was originally constructed in 2020, but the expansion will allow the company to further push the boundaries when it comes to cryogenics.
Quantum technology needs cryogenic systems, such as dilution refrigerators and cryocoolers, to develop applications like quantum computing, quantum communications, and quantum sensing.
Quantum computers require cryogenic systems, as quantum chips need temperatures as low as 10 millikelvin (near absolute zero, or -459.67°F, -273.15°C) to perform.
Jonas Geust, CEO of Bluefors, said that the expansion also makes Bluefors the biggest manufacturer of dilution refrigerators in the US.
“With this investment, we are strengthening our production capabilities and skills to support the growth of the quantum sector, as well as helping to advance the industrial development of quantum technologies in North America.”
The global quantum technology market is expected to grow by an annual rate of 17% towards 2040, meaning the demand for dilution refrigerators and cryocoolers is rapidly increasing.
Simultaneously with the expansion, Bluefors has also opened a spare parts hub in Syracuse to serve customers in the US and Canada. The addition will allow North American customers to benefit from an improved service level and shorter delivery times.
The expansion adds more office, manufacturing, warehouse, storage, shipping, and receiving space, increasing cryocooler testing capacity and doubling throughput. It also lays the groundwork for the future growth of Bluefors operations in the US.
In March 2023, Bluefors completed its acquisition of US cryocooler business Cryomech, a US-based cryocooler technology and manufacturing firm.
Speaking to gasworld shortly after the transaction, Jonas Geust, CEO of Bluefors, said, “Bluefors was purely a Finnish business, based here in Helsinki and selling around the world. But we have always done a lot of business in the US – about half of all our sales, in fact.”
He continued, “As a business, we always faced the question of how to expand our presence in our key North American market. One obvious potential solution was through an acquisition, and with Cryomech, which is based in New York State, it was the obvious candidate.”
“But the stars still need to align for a deal to develop and come off. We got to know each other well over many years, and we knew there was a good cultural fit. So, bit by bit, we were able to work it through and make it happen.”
Read more: When Bluefors bought Cryomech
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