The UK government has announced £50m funding for quantum technology firms to test and develop innovative products as part of its goal to invest £2bn in the technology.
Through a Sensing and Positioning, Navigation and Timing competition run by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the funding aims to support the development of quantum-based technology that has the potential to outperform existing technologies.
While quantum technology is not widely available commercially, it is something the government sees as a big opportunity for the UK. Quantum computers promise to tackle difficult computational problems that cannot be solved using traditional supercomputer architectures. There is also growing interest in quantum sensing and quantum security.
In March, the Labour government, under Keir Starmer’s premiership, announced it would invest £1bn over the next four years to enable the UK to win the race to deliver quantum computing at scale. This was followed by further funding commitments in the government’s industrial strategy. As part of a £670m package of funding to accelerate the UK’s quantum computing capabilities, Labour announced 10-year funding for the National Quantum Computing Centre.
One of the projects to win UKRI funding is a quantum monitoring system led by West Midlands-based MoniRail. The technology being developed could be used to pinpoint the precise location of faults in railway tracks and signalling equipment, where GPS is unable to reach.
Another winning project is a handheld quantum eye developed by Bristol-based Siloton, which aims to make advanced eye diagnostics available outside specialist hospitals.
Also receiving backing is Oxfordshire-based Coldquanta UK, which is developing a compact, mobile quantum radio system that can locate signals with high accuracy. Application areas include operational intelligence in the military, improving resilience of critical infrastructure such as airports, and helping emergency responders locate distress signals.
Other companies to be funded include QLM Technology, which is developing a camera to see and measure greenhouse gases in energy; Quantum Fabrix, a developer of a next-generation clock for satellites; and Cerca Magnetics, which is developing a wearable brain scanner.
Science, innovation and investment minister Chris McDonald said: “We’re backing teams across the UK to turn bright ideas into products that make a real difference, growing the economy, creating new jobs and ensuring we can be leaders in quantum technology for decades to come.”
Charlotte Deane, executive chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council at UK Research and Innovation, said: “This UKRI funding gives these businesses what they need to grow and take their technology further, while building strong UK supply chains that keep the parts quantum tech depends on here in the UK.
“These technologies also matter for our national security, giving our military and emergency responders reliable ways to navigate and stay connected even when conventional systems can’t be relied on.”
Along with the Sensing and Positioning, Navigation and Timing competition, Innovate UK, the UK’s national innovation agency, which is part of UKRI, is funding the development of quantum communications. Through its Enabling Commercial Quantum Networking competition, Innovate UK is investing £20m in UK-based businesses to build domestic capability in quantum communication networks.
UKRI also announced an £8m expansion of its Quantum Enabling Skills Training (QuEST) apprentices programme to create new routes into skilled quantum jobs.
