Quantum technology roadmap unveiled for the UK

At a launch event at The Royal Society, the NQTP unveiled its Roadmap for Quantum Technologies, which involves identification and investment in applications such as gravity imaging, quantum sensors, and quantum computing. Based around the principles and properties of quantum mechanics, quantum technology is a burgeoning area of industry that is expected to grow rapidly over the coming years.

Set up to take advantage of this opportunity, the NQTP is a coordinated effort between a range of government departments, as well as the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Innovate UK, and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). At a time when funding for science is increasingly under threat, the government’s commitment last year to £270 million of investment in quantum technologies is indicative of the sector’s potential.

“Quantum technology may sound like science fiction, yet the reality is that it has the power to transform many aspects of our daily lives from the way we communicate, to the way we manage our health,” said Dr Richard Murray, emerging technologies and industries technologist at Innovate UK.