Quantum Laboratory Launched to Transform AI, Energy, Health Care

A new research facility has been inaugurated to offer open access to quantum computing capabilities to industry, academia and other sectors in the U.K.

The National Quantum Computing Center (NQCC), a 43,000 square foot facility in Harwell, Oxfordshire, was officially opened by science minister Patrick Vallance to push the boundaries of what is possible with this emerging technology.

The center will be home to 12 quantum computing platforms using different technologies and more than 70 staff, offering student opportunities from doctoral students to apprenticeships as well as industry crash courses.

Unlike equivalent facilities elsewhere, the NQCC’s systems are not government owned and anyone with a valid use case could use the facilities. The setup is designed to foster collaboration to drive quantum breakthroughs for the public and private sectors.

“The National Quantum Computing Center marks a vital step forward in the U.K.’s efforts to advance quantum technologies,” said Lord Vallance during the inauguration.

“By making its facilities available to users from across industry and academia, and with its focus on making quantum computers practically useable at scale, this center will help them solve some of the biggest challenges we face, whether it’s delivering advances in health care, enhancing energy efficiency, tackling climate change or inventing new materials.”

Related:UK Government Invests $57M in Quantum Sector

The NQCC would address the quantum use cases identified in the U.K.’s 10-year quantum computing program, including energy grid optimization, faster drug discovery, climate prediction and supercharging advances in AI.

Researchers at U.K. Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) quantum hubs are already using quantum computers to build neural networks that could be used to detect fraud and are working toward a quantum internet that will pool the colossal power of quantum computers from across the globe.  

The NQCC was first announced in 2018 as part of the U.K. government’s National Quantum Technologies Program and has been in operation since but this is the first time its resources have come together under one roof.

It is supported through an initial $120 million UKRI investment, delivered through the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). UKRI has also invested $65 million, including through the Technology Missions Fund.

NQCC deputy director for innovation Simon Plant delivered an update on the facility at The Quantum Summit London in 2022, saying it would open in the fall of 2023.  

Related:NQCC's Sonali Mohapatra on Quantum Computing Use Cases