From IBM to Quantum: Related Ross Acquires Boca Raton’s Historic Innovation Campus
Related Ross is expanding its Palm Beach County footprint south, adding one of South Florida’s most historically significant technology properties to its portfolio.
The company announced that the 124-acre Boca Raton Innovation Campus, better known as BRiC, is now part of the Related Ross portfolio, marking the firm’s expansion into Boca Raton nearly three decades after it first began investing in Palm Beach County.
The acquisition gives Related Ross control of a sprawling technology and business campus that traces its roots to IBM and the birth of the personal computer, and comes as BRiC prepares for another chapter centered around emerging technologies, including quantum computing.
“Nearly 30 years after Related Ross began investing in Palm Beach County, our commitment to the region is expanding to Boca Raton,” Related Ross said in announcing the acquisition. The company said it sees an opportunity to build on BRiC’s technology legacy while supporting its continued role as one of Boca Raton’s largest employment centers.
From the Personal Computer to Quantum Computing
Few properties in South Florida have a technology history quite like BRiC. The former IBM campus played a pivotal role in the development of the IBM Personal Computer in the early 1980s, putting Boca Raton on the global technology map during one of the most consequential periods in modern computing.
More than four decades later, the campus is preparing for another generation of computing innovation. D-Wave Quantum announced earlier this year that it plans to relocate its corporate headquarters from Palo Alto, California, to Boca Raton, establishing its new headquarters at BRiC.
The move creates a striking connection between two generations of computing: the campus that helped usher in the personal computing era will now serve as the headquarters of a company working to advance the commercialization of quantum computing.
With Related Ross now taking ownership, BRiC’s next evolution could extend well beyond traditional office space.
Why the City of Boca Raton?
The acquisition represents a significant geographic expansion for Related Ross, which has played a central role in the transformation of downtown West Palm Beach.
Led by developer Stephen M. Ross, the company has spent nearly three decades investing in Palm Beach County and has increasingly positioned West Palm Beach as a destination for finance, technology, education and corporate headquarters. Now, Related Ross sees many of the same ingredients for growth farther south.
“Boca Raton has many of the ingredients companies are looking for today, including access to talent, connectivity, a strong university, education ecosystem and a high quality of life,” said Jordan Bargas, executive vice president of Related Ross. Those assets are particularly relevant as Boca Raton’s technology ecosystem continues to evolve.
The City of Boca Raton is home to Florida Atlantic University, an established base of technology and corporate talent, and BRiC itself, a campus with deep roots in the history of computing and a growing roster of companies working on what comes next. For Related Ross, the strategy appears to be less about reinventing that ecosystem and more about strengthening what is already there.
“We want to build on what is already working here and help create the conditions for more companies, talent and ideas to thrive,” said Ross.
That approach could prove significant for BRiC. Rather than starting from scratch, Related Ross is taking ownership of an established employment and innovation center with existing companies, a substantial workforce and proximity to one of South Florida’s major research universities.
Connecting Boca Raton and West Palm Beach
Related Ross’ expansion into Boca Raton also complements the company’s growing investment in West Palm Beach. ServiceNow has announced plans for an innovation hub and AI Institute in West Palm Beach, while Vanderbilt University is advancing plans for a graduate campus with an emphasis on areas including business, engineering and technology.
BRiC now gives Related Ross a major foothold roughly 30 miles south in Boca Raton. The combination raises an intriguing possibility for the region: a more connected innovation corridor stretching from Boca Raton to West Palm Beach. The two cities bring complementary assets.
West Palm Beach has experienced rapid growth in financial services, corporate relocations, artificial intelligence initiatives and higher education investment.
Boca Raton offers Florida Atlantic University, BRiC, an established technology workforce and growing activity across quantum computing, cybersecurity, life sciences and other emerging industries.
Rather than operating as isolated technology centers, continued investment in both markets could strengthen Palm Beach County’s ability to attract companies, entrepreneurs, investors and talent as a region. The Related Ross acquisition could become another piece connecting those ecosystems.
An Investment Beyond BRiC
Related Ross has also made clear that its arrival in Boca Raton will not be limited to the boundaries of the campus. “Our investment will also extend beyond the campus through the Related Ross Foundation, working with local organizations to support opportunities for local residents,” the company said.
That community component could become increasingly important as Related Ross establishes a larger presence in Boca Raton. BRiC already serves as one of the city’s largest employment centers, and the size of the property gives its new owner an unusual opportunity to influence the future of a major economic hub.
Related Ross has extensive experience developing environments that combine workplaces with residences, restaurants, retail, public spaces and other amenities. How BRiC ultimately evolves under its new ownership remains to be seen, but the acquisition puts a major South Florida technology asset in the hands of a developer with an increasingly ambitious vision for Palm Beach County.
Building on a Technology Legacy
For Related Ross, the acquisition adds a significant new property to a Palm Beach County portfolio nearly 30 years in the making. For Boca Raton, it brings one of the region’s most influential developers to a campus that already occupies an important place in the city’s economic and technology history. And for South Florida’s technology ecosystem, the timing is particularly notable.
A campus associated with the birth of the personal computer is preparing to welcome the headquarters of a quantum computing company. A developer helping reshape West Palm Beach’s business and innovation landscape is expanding into Boca Raton. And two of Palm Beach County’s largest economic centers are becoming increasingly connected through technology, talent, education and investment.
“We look forward to contributing to the Boca Raton community and building on the strong foundation already there,” Related Ross said.
For a campus built on innovation, that foundation may now become the starting point for BRiC’s next era.
Related Ross has acquired the 124-acre Boca Raton Innovation Campus, expanding its nearly 30-year investment in Palm Beach County. From its IBM roots to D-Wave’s arrival, BRiC could be entering a new era of technology, talent and innovation.