Government announces support worth up to £2bn to cement the UK as a world leader in Quantum
The next step in the UK’s plans for quantum technology aims to accelerate the translation of research into commercial deployment, to provide meaningful benefits for people across the country and to deliver on the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy.
Support worth up to £2 billion was announced by the Technology Secretary and the Chancellor on Tuesday 17 March – reflecting years of sustained government and UKRI investment in the UK’s quantum research base that ensured the UK stays at the forefront of Quantum innovation.
The announcement builds on the foundations laid by the last decade of the UK Quantum Technology Programme to welcome new investment, jobs, and improved public services across the country.
Some of the investments announced include:
- Over £400m to support breakthroughs in sensing and navigation, and the skills and infrastructure needed to bring these technologies to market.
- £205m for quantum sensing and navigation to ensure the UK is poised to accelerate innovations in medical diagnostics, greenhouse gas monitoring, and ultra-secure communications. This aims to transform our ability to diagnose and treat medical conditions like childhood epilepsy and potentially Alzheimer’s in the years to come – transforming outcomes for patients.
- An extra £13.8m injected into the UK’s 5 National Quantum Research Hubs delivered by UK Research and Innovation, with researchers working in healthcare, clean energy, and national security projects among the first to get access to the most powerful technology in the world.
Michael Holynski, Principal Investigator for QuSIT, said:
“QuSIT is driven by the need to translate quantum sensing, imaging and timing technologies into practical solutions to important end-user problems.
Our researchers have made critical advancements in technologies that support national priorities across infrastructure, health, transport, green energy, and beyond. These include wearable scanners that give new insights into brain health, imaging systems that can pinpoint greenhouse gas leaks and quantum sensors to see what is hidden below the ground.
To turn our research into widely available products and services, we have created and grown 14 spinouts and a network of established enterprises. The Hub is positioned as an engine for fostering economic growth and delivering elements of the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy.
I am excited by this new government investment. It will enable us to further accelerate the delivery of these technologies at scale in real-world applications and support our commitment to make quantum technologies a driver for economic and societal benefit to the UK.”
For more information, read the full government press release here.
