The Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) says it is encouraging companies to initially build prototype quantum computers with a view to having commercial versions available in the next decade.
DSIT is targeting applications in financial services, quantum navigation, energy and pharmaceuticals.
The next step in the UK’s plans for quantum technology, says the government, will help deliver personalised treatments, potential cures for diseases, safeguard national security and deliver high-paid jobs – revolutionising the health and wealth of people across the UK and delivering on the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy.
The UK will become the first country to benefit from revolutionary quantum computers, sensors and networks, and support the emergence of the next generation of leading British companies that will help shape the curve of progress, it added.
“As of today, the UK is the first country in the world to commit to an advanced procurement to build large-scale quantum computers on our shores by the early 2030s. Joining R&D, manufacturing, software, hardware and procurement into a single programme, we will be world leaders in developing and deploying large-scale quantum computers,” says DSIT.
“These systems will be built in Britain – creating British jobs, new opportunities for British businesses and opening new routes of investment to flow into our economy from all over the world.”
Technology secretary Liz Kendall said: “I am determined this country grasps the benefits quantum computing will bring. It is only by keeping pace with technological progress that we can deliver the high-paid jobs, cutting-edge public services and innovations which change lives.
“Today’s announcements are an investment in our future – unlocking better health, wealth and more opportunities for communities across the country.
“This government is ushering in a quantum leap – making the choice today to back UK scientists, companies, and innovators so we can deliver a future that works for all.”
ProQure:Scaling UK Quantum Computing ”will launch next week, where companies will be invited to table proposals to partner with us to deliver state-of-the-art prototypes for evaluation.
“Prototypes will then be assessed, with the most promising companies invited to deliver larger- scale machines for use by scientists, researchers, the public sector and businesses, as part of our national computing infrastructure.
“This will also accelerate growth of the UK’s already thriving quantum industry-supporting homegrown firms as they scale-up and grow while building an environment which encourages private backers from around the world to pour money into the sector, capturing everything from hardware, processors and manufacturing through to sustained investment in UK supply chains.”
Estimates show quantum could boost productivity by 7% in the next two decades, creating more than 100,000 jobs in the process. That would mean £212bn-worth of economic impact – the equivalent of adding the combined annual GDP of Wales and Northern Ireland.
The technology is already being put to work across the country, with Q-BIOMED researchers at the University College London exploring wearable brain scanners to support people suffering from epilepsy.
Laying the foundations that will give the UK a rich pool of quantum talent, the government’s flagship TechFirst programme will launch new partnerships with companies in the sector – offering up to 100 fully funded internships. This will give people the tools they need to embark on future, high-paying careers in the field.
The UK launched a National Quantum Technologies programme in 2014, which has already been backed by more than £1bn in public funding to support skills, research and infrastructure.
The UK’s credentials as a global magnet for private investment are also thriving. Coinciding with today’s announcements, several global companies are announcing technical breakthroughs delivered in the UK, as well as new and recent investment commitments including:
- Infleqtion has delivered a 100-qubit quantum computer at the National Quantum Computing Centre, marking a significant step forward in developing large-scale systems for operational capability
- Vescent has selected the UK’s National Physical Laboratory for its next office outside the US, backing worldleading talent and expertise across UK institutions
- IonQ has formed a major strategic research partnership with Cambridge University. This will create the IonQ Quantum Innovation Centre, hosting IonQ’s most advanced 256-qubit computer, accelerating research and discovery in the UK.
The raft of measures set out today lays the foundations for new investment, jobs, and improved public services across the country, says the DSIT.
