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Quantum Science and Technology

UK national quantum technology programme

P. L. Knight, Ian A. Walmsley

Published Oct 1, 2019• 75 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract The UK has, through a mix of government and industry funding, committed more than £1Bn over ten years to a coordinated programme in quantum technology. Five years into this programme, the UK National Quantum Technology Programme has induced a step change in the nation’s capabilities for establishing a new sector in future quantum information technologies. We describe how the programme arose and the activities it has supported and influenced to deliver these new capabilities, building on a first phase of over £385M investment across several UK government agencies. As the programme enters its second phase, with a further substantial investment by UK government and global industries, we review the prospects for ensuring the advanced quantum science and demonstrator platforms in imaging, sensing, timing, communications and computing developed over the past five years drive the formation of the sector and embed quantum tech in a broad range of industries by means of new products and services.

DOI
10.1088/2058-9565/ab4346

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Abstract The UK has, through a mix of government and industry funding, committed more than £1Bn over ten years to a coordinated programme in quantum technology. Five years into this programme, the UK National Quantum Technology Programme has induced a step change in the nation’s capabilities for establishing a new sector in future quantum information technologies. We describe how the programme arose and the activities it has supported and influenced to deliver these new capabilities, building on a first phase of over £385M investment across several UK government agencies. As the programme enters its second phase, with a further substantial investment by UK government and global industries, we review the prospects for ensuring the advanced quantum science and demonstrator platforms in imaging, sensing, timing, communications and computing developed over the past five years drive the formation of the sector and embed quantum tech in a broad range of industries by means of new products and services.
The UK National Quantum Technology Programme was launched in 2017 and was the first example of a nationally coordinated initiative bringing together academia, industry and government to accelerate development and commercialisation of quantum technologies. The programme, now in its second phase and worth £1B (~$1.25B), has also inspired the creation of other national initiatives across the globe, including the $1.2B US National Quantum Initiative. According to the latest statistics available, between 2017 and 2018 companies active in quantum technology raised more than $450M in private equity funding. This amount of investment and the burgeoning activity in this field is expected to produce game-changing technology, but the question remains: when and where will this happen first? Join us to hear expert perspectives from those at the frontiers of quantum technology and its commercialization, as well as informed commentary on the trends emerging in this fast-changing arena. Learn how industry leaders are addressing the challenges of this exciting new arena and identifying opportunities to grow their business.
Some 8 years since the UK announced the world’s first national quantum technology programme and word has gotten out. Nowdays, every country with half a physicist has now announced their intention to ‘lead the world in the second quantum revolution’. How does the UK fare in the future quantum industry? In this new crowded market of quantum-ambitious countries, we should consider how to intelligently understand how the pieces fit together within a future, globally connected quantum economy. Richard Murray will elaborate on the work the UKQuantum- the voice of the UK quantum industry and how it is looking to help.
We review the national projects on quantum information science and technology in Japan over the past 30 years. The main funding agencies for this field have been the Japan Science and Technology Agency, the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and the Cabinet Office of the Government of Japan. The total investment in the quantum information science and technology field from these funding agencies for the past 15 years amounts to US$250 million. A similar amount of investment has been put in parallel by industry. As a result, new science frontiers have been created, and some service prototypes, such as quantum key distribution systems and coherent Ising machines, have been delivered to user premises. Recently, Japan has launched new initiatives to advance quantum information science and technology to the next phase, and to make full use of them for the resolution of societal problems.
The various branches of the U.S. military have systematically laid out related projects in quantum technology, accelerating the application of quantum technology in the field of defense. This article analyzes the development trend of quantum technology from four perspectives: defense, funding, industry, and research output. Taking the U.S. military as the main object, based on the Department of Defense’s 2024 fiscal year defense technology budget, it analyzes the project layout of U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in the field of quantum technology; it analyzes the application prospects of quantum technology in defense, and elaborates on the high-precision detection capabilities of quantum sensing technology, the high-speed information processing capabilities of quantum computing, and the secure confidential communication capabilities of quantum communication.
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