UK Takes Lead on Quantum Regulation: Quantum Computing Summit London

The U.K. Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) aims to develop a national and international regulatory framework that supports innovation and ethical use of quantum technologies, an audience at The Quantum Computing Summit London has heard. 

DSIT was launched in March to support the government's attempts to deliver on the mission to be the most innovative economy in the world and make the U.K. a science and technology superpower, said DSIT director for emerging technologies and innovative regulation Hannah Boardman. 

“Quantum technologies are at the core of that mission, alongside AI, engineering biology, semiconductors and future telecoms,” she added.

The department published the national quantum strategy in March, which set out a 10-year vision for taking quantum technologies forward. One of its cornerstones is the national quantum program, which aims to drive the adoption of quantum technologies across the U.K. and scale quantum businesses to be global players in key applications across continents. It has committed to double U.K. public investments in R&D to $33 billion (£2.5 billion) over the next 10 years. 

“We have also started work on regulatory innovation and have commissioned the Regulatory Horizons Council to undertake a review into creating the most pro-innovation regulatory environment and quantum technologies that we can manage,” said Boardman.

“This should allow us to craft a national and international regulatory framework that supports innovation and the ethical use of quantum technologies, whilst also critically protecting UK security. We hope to be world-leading in that.”

DSIT plans to launch a quantum skills task force to ensure the quantum community has the workforce it needs to accelerate the growth of U.K. quantum. It is also increasing funding for the National Quantum Computing Centre, which supports businesses that want to get started in quantum through its SparQ program. 

DSIT has launched two quantum missions – one in quantum computing and one in quantum position navigation and timing – aiming to bring both communities together to innovate, solve problems and achieve key technical milestones. 

“The quantum computing mission is about how we demonstrate the advantage of a quantum computer over a classical one for applications by 2025,” said Boardman. “By advantage, we mean offering critical performance for carrying out calculations previously impossible, and we'll be focusing on areas such as machine learning.”

To advance these goals, minister of state for DSIT George Freeman announced today a further government award of $57 million (£45 million) to U.K. businesses and research organizations.

This article first appeared in IoT World Today's sister publication Quantum Business.