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The hubs will aim to innovate in a broad range of areas, including quantum-enhanced blood tests, faster MRI scanners, and new surgical interventions and treatments.
The UK will invest more than £100m to create five quantum research hubs across the country.
Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Oxford and London will each get one hub, where researchers will work finding practical applications for a range of quantum technologies, from faster medical scanners and secure communication networks to next-generation navigation systems.
The idea behind the investment announced by the country’s science secretary Peter Kyle is to bring researchers and businesses together on the development of quantum technologies that can help realise faster diagnoses for diseases, critical infrastructure safe from hostile threats and cleaner energy.
“This isn’t just about research; it’s about putting that research to work,” Kyle said in the announcement.
“These hubs will bridge the gap between brilliant ideas and practical solutions. They will not only transform sectors like healthcare and security, but also create a culture of accelerated innovation that helps to grow our economy.”
Examples of innovations shared by his department include quantum-enhanced blood tests, faster MRI scanners, and new surgical interventions and treatments, which could all translate to better patient outcomes and easing pressure on the public health service.
Research objectives related to national security include aircraft operating with improved positioning systems that are resistant to GPS jamming and submarines able to operate for extended periods without relying on satellites.
The hubs will be delivered by the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) with funding from the UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Research Council, UKRI Medical Research Council and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
Prof Charlotte Deane, EPSRC executive chair, said that technologies harnessing quantum properties will provide “unparalleled power and capacity for analysis at a molecular level”.
“The five quantum technology hubs … will harness the UK’s expertise to foster innovation, support growth and ensure that we capitalise on the profound opportunities of this transformative technology.”
Last November, the UK announced plans for a national quantum strategy to have accessible, UK-based quantum computers that can run 1trn operations and an advanced quantum network at scale by 2035. This refers to the number of operations a quantum computer can perform before a single logical error occurs.
The announcement followed a major AI summit in the UK that saw countries across six continents sign the Bletchley Declaration on AI safety. During the summit, the government also announced an investment of £225m to create an AI supercomputer that will be the country’s most powerful machine.
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