The UK gov has announced a £45 million investment into the quantum sector, funnelling support into quantum healthcare, energy, transport, and more. £15 million of the investment will be used to fund public projects, including the development of a quantum brain scanner that aims to improve the diagnosis of disorders such as epilepsy and dementia; […]
The UK gov has announced a £45 million investment into the quantum sector, funnelling support into quantum healthcare, energy, transport, and more.
£15 million of the investment will be used to fund public projects, including the development of a quantum brain scanner that aims to improve the diagnosis of disorders such as epilepsy and dementia; smart navigation systems for trains; and using quantum computing to solve optimisation problems in energy grids.
The science minister, Andrew Griffith, commented: “As we steer towards an economy benefitting from quantum, this further £45 million in funding underscores our commitment to support bright UK innovators who are pushing boundaries and seizing the potential of this technology to transform our public services.”
The seven projects that will receive support under the Quantum Catalyst fund have been through an initial feasibility round and selected for a second phase, in which they will receive backing to build physical prototypes.
Everything you need to know about quantum (but were afraid to ask)
The other £30 million in investment will go towards the development of prototype quantum computers, providing scientists and engineers with testbeds to study qubits, and to test and validate algorithms, devices, and technologies.
Kedar Pandya, executive director of cross-council programmes at UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) said: “We are on the brink of a quantum technology revolution that is poised to transform diverse industries from the financial sector to healthcare.”
“This investment will help our researchers and innovators develop the blueprint for quantum computing hardware and software, and secure the UK’s place in this developing field.”
With quantum computing now beginning to take pace, countries across the globe are keen to make themselves a quantum nation – read about Finland’s bid here, with chips, refrigeration, and quantum drug discovery all happening within its capital.
