The UK government has announced a £121 million ($160m) investment package to support quantum technology.
In a statement, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said the funding is the latest part of the government’s National Quantum Technologies Programme, established to help support the commercialization of quantum technologies.
In addition to £44m ($58m) of previously announced funding – £24.6m ($32.5m) from EPSRC for five research hubs, £15.1m ($20m) for 11 quantum career fellowships, and £4.3m ($5.7m) for quantum apprenticeships – the package includes £46.1m ($61m) through Innovate UK to accelerate the deployment of quantum computing, networking, position, navigation and timing, and sensing; £21.1m ($28m) to further support the National Quantum Computing Centre in Harwell; and £10.9m ($14.4m) for the National Physical Laboratory’s (NPL) quantum measurement program.
DSIT said the investment would be used to support use cases such as tackling fraud and money laundering.
“Backing our world-class quantum researchers and businesses is an important part of our Plan for Change,” said Secretary of State for Science and Technology Peter Kyle.
“The UK is home to the second largest community of quantum businesses in the world, and this investment means they can go further paving the way for new quantum tools and products that make our lives easier, fuel growth, and help us tackle the great challenges of our era.“
The government is currently focused on delivering its five ‘Quantum Missions,’ first announced by the UK’s previous Conservative government in November 2023.
The missions provide milestones for investment and research that will secure what the government called the UK’s “status as a world leader in the technology,” and include the expectation that every NHS Trust will use quantum sensing-enabled solutions, in addition to the deployment of quantum navigation systems on aircraft and mobile networked quantum sensors by 2030.
The final two missions have a deadline of 2035 and will see quantum computers capable of running one trillion operations, in addition to the deployment of an advanced quantum network that will enable the future Quantum Internet.
