Insider Brief
- The UK government announced £78 million to support businesses developing quantum sensing, navigation and communication technologies and expand workforce training.
- A £50 million competition will support projects including a railway fault monitoring system, handheld eye scanner and a mobile radio system.
- UKRI is investing £20 million in quantum networking capabilities and £8 million to expand a programme aiming to equip 150 engineering apprentices with quantum skills by 2030.
- Photo by Mohammed Al-Emran on Unsplash
PRESS RELEASE — British businesses developing quantum technologies are being backed to keep our railways running, reduce eye scan waits, and keep our military connected – improving lives for people across the country.
Quantum technologies use the behaviour of tiny particles including atoms to do things that are difficult or impossible with today’s technology. This includes quantum sensors, which can make extremely precise measurements to help with everything from healthcare and transport to infrastructure and national security.
Businesses turning this new science into real-world solutions are being backed with a share of £50 million, as part of a new government package to unleash the potential of one of the defining technologies of our generation.
Delivered through UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Sensing and Positioning, Navigation and Timing competition, it will directly support companies building next-generation systems that could outperform today’s technology in critical areas. The funding will help companies build on early testing and turn their innovations into products that make a difference in the real world.
Winning projects include a quantum monitoring system, led by West Midlands-based MoniRail, which could pinpoint the precise location of faults in railway tracks and signalling equipment where GPS is unable to reach. That means track staff being able to deal with problems as soon as they arise, which will spare commuters frustrating last-minute delays.
A handheld quantum eye scanner from Bristol-based Siloton is designed to make advanced eye diagnostics available outside specialist hospitals, with smaller, more accessible devices improving access to care for patients all over the country.
Oxfordshire-based ColdQuanta UK is being backed to develop a compact, mobile quantum radio system that can locate signals with high accuracy. It could support operational intelligence in the military, strengthen the resilience of critical infrastructure such as airports, and help emergency responders locate distress signals.
The funding forms part of the government’s wider goal to make the UK a world leader in quantum sensing by 2030, backed by up to £2 billion investment earlier this year.
Science, Innovation and Investment Minister Chris McDonald said:
Quantum has long been an exciting technology, but now real world applications are within our grasp.
UK innovators are showing us what these breakthroughs could mean for our lives in the near future, from cutting down on train delays, to earlier appointments at in-demand areas of the NHS, to keeping our armed forces safe and connected as they protect our country.
We’re backing teams across the UK to turn bright ideas into products that make a real difference, growing the economy, creating new jobs, and ensuring we can be leaders in Quantum technology for decades to come.
The announcement comes as the government takes further action to back the foundations needed to turn quantum breakthroughs into a thriving UK industry.
UKRI is investing £20 million in UK-based businesses to build domestic capability in quantum communication networks, a strategically important future quantum technology.
Through its Enabling Commercial Quantum Networking competition, UKRI will support companies like Sheffield-based Aegiq to develop specialist components, such as lasers and photonic chips, strengthening supply chains and keeping the UK at the forefront of developing quantum technologies.
Meanwhile an £8 million expansion of UKRI’s QuEST Apprentices Programme will create new routes into skilled quantum jobs, helping employers train the engineering technicians and specialist quantum technicians needed to build, maintain and commercialise these technologies.
By 2030 the scheme aims to equip 150 apprentices studying engineering subjects with the ability to support the growing UK quantum workforce, helping to maintain Britain as a global leader in the technology.
Professor Charlotte Deane, UKRI Senior Responsible Owner for IS8 Quantum said:
Backing innovation and skills through the IS8 Quantum Priority Programme delivers on the National Quantum Strategy, including through apprentices at Harwell developing the expertise industry needs for years to come.
This UKRI funding gives these businesses what they need to grow and take their technology further, while building strong UK supply chains that keep the parts quantum tech depends on here in the UK.
These technologies also matter for our national security, giving our military and emergency responders reliable ways to navigate and stay connected even when conventional systems can’t be relied on.
Projects receiving support include:
- QLM Technology Ltd (Wales) – Camera to see and measure greenhouse gases in energy, water, and waste infrastructure
- Quantum Fabrix Ltd (Oxford) – Next generation clock for satellites for use in navigation, defence, and communications infrastructure
- Monirail Ltd (West Midlands) – High-accuracy position systems for trains, to make locating track faults quicker and towards use in railway signalling infrastructure
- Siloton Ltd (London/Bristol) – Handheld and accessible eye-scanner to reduce NHS waiting lists and medical screening in communities
- ColdQuanta UK Ltd (Oxford) – Compact and mobile ‘antenna’ for radio signals, with defence and civilian applications (including search and rescue)
- Cerca Magnetics Ltd (Nottingham) – Wearable brain scanner to be brought into clinical use, in particular for pre-surgery scanning for epilepsy treatment.
- The investment comes as Quantum City, an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council-funded public engagement initiative, relaunched at New Scientist Live this weekend with a new website and updated resources showcasing training opportunities and career pathways. It aims to inspire the next generation of quantum talent and equip people with the skills to contribute to and benefit from the next quantum revolution.