UK and Germany Sign £14 Million Quantum Deal

The UK and German governments have announced plans to boost collaboration in quantum technology. As part of the recent German President’s State Visit to the United Kingdom, a raft of investments were made, including a £6 million ($8 million) joint quantum technology research and development funding project, set to launch early next year.

A further £8 million ($10 million) will be invested to support the work of the Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics in Glasgow, with the aim of helping businesses in the UK create advanced quantum products.

“Quantum technology will revolutionise fields such as cybersecurity, drug discovery, medical imaging, and much more. International collaboration is crucial to unlocking these benefits,” said UK Science Minister Lord Vallance.

“With its deep R&D expertise, top-tier skills and world-leading institutions, Germany is a natural partner to the UK in these efforts. This is work that will not only advance the bounds of knowledge, but will support stronger economies, better jobs and healthy, secure societies, in both our countries,” he added.

This enhanced collaboration between two major European research and development players highlights how quantum is no longer a race between competing nations but rather is viewed as a shared strategy that pools experience to accelerate development. A Memorandum of Understanding between the UK’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Germany’s Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) has also been signed.

The UK Government recognises the potential of quantum to become of significant commercial importance. It is estimated that by 2045, quantum technology will contribute £11 billion to the UK’s GDP and support over 100,000 jobs in the country.

While quantum computing is often the application of most interest, everything from quantum sensors to medical imaging can be deeply impactful in the coming decades. As quantum requires extremely expensive infrastructure and breakthroughs run into the decades, government-level collaboration is needed to ensure the potential of this technology can be achieved.

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