Why New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani wants 15% of whatever NYU’s new quantum lab invents

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has committed $29.2 million in city money to New York University's (NYU) new quantum technology lab, and the city wants a share of whatever comes out of it. Under a deal announced on October 14, New York City will receive 15% of NYU's central administration proceeds from any intellectual property created at the lab using tools the city helped fund. It also gets three seats on the lab's executive advisory board.The Quantum Fabrication Facility, or QFab, will occupy 23,000 square feet at 770 Broadway in Manhattan and is expected to open in 2030. NYU is adding $255 million of its own, $100 million for construction and $155 million for a decade of operations, which takes the project to $284 million.