26 Jul 2024

The UK announces five new quantum hubs

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has announced £100 million in government funding for five new quantum research hubs.

These five new hubs will be led by universities across the UK and will work closely with industry partners to build on world leading UK strength across a plurality of quantum technologies.

The UK's 'quantum hubs' model has provided world leading research and innovation since 2014. The renewal of this system, with five new hubs announced, underscores UK Government commitment to build on the long term success of the National Quantum Technologies Programme, continuing to place quantum technologies at the heart of its science and research ambitions.

The focus on practical use of quantum technology, emphasising industry and academic collaboration, is welcomed by techUK as a strong step towards supporting quantum commercialisation. We look forward to exploring how the research undertaken by these hubs translates into real-world applications that benefits UK society, economy and the planet.

Underscoring academic and industry collaboration, Minister Peter Kyle said, "This isn’t just about research; it’s about putting that research to work." You can see his full quote below.

The announced Quantum Technology Hubs are:

The UK Quantum Biomedical Sensing Research Hub (University College London and University of Cambridge): Explores quantum sensors for ultra-sensitive disease diagnosis, including rapid blood tests, and biomedical scanners to facilitate earlier diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
UK Quantum Technology Hub in Sensing, Imaging and Timing (University of Birmingham): Focuses on the development of quantum sensing for practical applications - brain scanners for dementia, cancer diagnostics, and advanced security and infrastructure monitoring.
Integrated Quantum Networks Quantum Technology Hub (Heriot-Watt University): Aims to deliver the technologies for a future UK-wide ‘quantum internet’, enabling future-proof cybersecurity and powerful distributed quantum computing.
The Hub for Quantum Computing via Integrated and Interconnected Implementations (University of Oxford): Develops technologies for building quantum computers, advancing UK capabilities across hardware and software and targeting applications in a wide range of industry sectors.
The UK Hub for Quantum Enabled Position, Navigation and Timing (University of Glasgow): Creates quantum-based positioning and navigation systems for critical infrastructure, autonomous vehicles, and improved indoor and underwater navigation.

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle, said:

We want to see a future where cutting-edge science improves everyday lives. That is the vision behind our investment in these new quantum technology hubs, by supporting the deployment of technology that will mean faster diagnoses for diseases, critical infrastructure safe from hostile threats and cleaner energy for us all.

This isn’t just about research; it’s about putting that research to work. 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.

You can see the full anouncement on the Government website here

Laura Foster

Head of Technology and Innovation, techUK

Laura is techUK’s Head of Programme for Technology and Innovation.

She supports the application and expansion of emerging technologies, including Quantum Computing, High-Performance Computing, AR/VR/XR and Edge technologies, across the UK. As part of this, she works alongside techUK members and UK Government to champion long-term and sustainable innovation policy that will ensure the UK is a pioneer in science and technology

Before joining techUK, Laura worked internationally as a conference researcher and producer covering enterprise adoption of emerging technologies. This included being part of the strategic team at London Tech Week.

Laura has a degree in History (BA Hons) from Durham University, focussing on regional social history. Outside of work she loves reading, travelling and supporting rugby team St. Helens, where she is from.

Email:: [email protected]
LinkedIn:: www.linkedin.com/in/lauraalicefoster

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Rory Daniels

Programme Manager, Emerging Technologies

Rory joined techUK in June 2023 after three years in the Civil Service on its Fast Stream leadership development programme.

During this time, Rory worked on the Government's response to Covid-19 (NHS Test & Trace), school funding strategy (Department for Education) and international climate and nature policy (Cabinet Office). He also tackled the social care crisis whilst on secondment to techUK's Health and Social Care programme in 2022.

Before this, Rory worked in the House of Commons and House of Lords alongside completing degrees in Political Economy and Global Politics.

Today, he is techUK's Programme Manager for Emerging Technologies, covering dozens of technologies including metaverse, drones, future materials, robotics, blockchain, space technologies, nanotechnology, gaming tech and Web3.0.

Email:: [email protected]
LinkedIn:: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorydaniels28/

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Elis Thomas

Programme Manager, Tech and Innovation, techUK

Elis joined techUK in December 2023 as a Programme Manager for Tech and Innovation, focusing on AI, Semiconductors and Digital ID.

He previously worked at an advocacy group for tech startups, with a regional focus on Wales. This involved policy research on innovation, skills and access to finance.

Elis has a Degree in History, and a Masters in Politics and International Relations from the University of Winchester, with a focus on the digitalisation and gamification of armed conflicts.