Last month the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, announced renewed government investment of £80m (plus £15m for capital equipment) to help further develop quantum technologies as part of the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme. The quantum technologies sector has been identified as a key component of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy.

The funding will support research and development in the key scope areas of quantum computing, communications, sensing and imaging, currently co-ordinated through the Network of four UK Quantum Technology Hubs. Additional funding for industrial partners is expected to be confirmed through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. Following an earlier EPSRC call over the summer about research leadership in a phase 2 of the national programme, the current Hubs are now preparing outline bids for expansion of their work into the next five years of the programme. The University of York-led Quantum Communications Hub is currently writing a proposal for a programme of work based on integrated secure quantum communications at all distance scales. Successful Hubs will be announced in April 2019.