The UK government has announced that it will invest £45 million (about RMB 410 million) in the country’s quantum sector to help fulfill its commitment to become a quantum-enabled economy by 2033. The funding is part of the UK’s National Quantum Strategy, which was released in March last year and commits £2.5 billion to the development of quantum technologies over the next decade.
The UK’s National Agency for Research and Innovation (UKRI) Technology Mission Fund and the UK’s National Quantum Computing Center (NQCC) are said to be putting two-thirds of the investment (£30 million) into relevant companies through a competition to help develop and deliver world-leading quantum computing prototypes. The funds will support competition winners to build quantum computing testbeds, provide controlled environments where scientists can study quantum bits – the fundamental unit of information in a quantum computer. This will help technologists to test and validate new algorithms and techniques, and explore how they can be scaled up in the future.
The remaining third of the funding (£15m) comes from the Quantum Catalyst Fund, which aims to accelerate the use of quantum technologies in the public sector. The aim is to accelerate the integration of quantum solutions across different policy areas, such as in healthcare, where it could be used to detect early signs of dementia, and in energy, where it could help manage the electricity grid.
“The UK is already one of the global leaders in quantum and to maintain this position, the government will continue to invest in this transformative technology to drive the UK into a new era of technological prowess and economic growth.” UK Science and Technology Minister Andrew Griffiths said.
Quantum technology is one of five key technologies set out in the UK’s Science and Technology Framework, which was published by the UK government in March 2023 and hopes to transform the UK into a technological superpower by 2030. According to the framework, over the next 10 years, UK will enhance UK’s global competitiveness in science and technology through 10 key actions and 5 key technology portfolios.The 10 key actions include shaping the global science and technology landscape through strategic international engagement, diplomacy and partnerships; providing finance for innovative science and technology start-ups; and showcasing the UK’s scientific and technological strengths and ambitions both at home and abroad in order to attract talent, investment, etc.The 5 Key technology portfolios include artificial intelligence, engineering biology, future communications, semiconductors and quantum technologies.