IonQ-SkyWater deal cleared by split US FTC
By Wesley Brown ( July 31, 2026, 21:42 GMT | Insight) -- The proposed acquisition of SkyWater Technology by IonQ presented vertical competition concerns, but the US Federal Trade Commission ultimately decided to clear the transaction rather than pursue litigation or require a behavioral remedy. FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson issued a statement to explain why he voted for a proposed decision and order that would have ameliorated competitive risks, "thereby protecting long-term American dominance in quantum computing consistent with President Donald Trump’s policy objectives,” but ultimately agreed that seeking to enjoin the merger would have been “an imprudent use of the agency’s resources.”The proposed acquisition of SkyWater Technology by IonQ presented vertical competition concerns, but the US Federal Trade Commission ultimately decided to clear the transaction rather than pursue litigation or require a behavioral remedy....
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