UK Targets Trillion-Operation Quantum Computer With Five-Tech-Hub Strategy
The UK’s coordinated quantum effort is built on five national hubs bridging research, industry and infrastructure for scalable systems
The UK’s ambition to lead the global quantum technology race starts with five national research hubs, each dedicated to a key domain of quantum science: computing, communications, sensing and timing, imaging, and positioning.
These hubs, headquartered at leading universities and integrated into a nationwide innovation pipeline, are the foundation for a long-term strategy to scale and commercialize quantum technologies. The most audacious goal is a fault-tolerant quantum computer capable of one trillion operations by 2035.
Professor Sir Peter Knight, Chair of the UK National Quantum Technology Strategic Advisory Board, championed and architected the national strategy in part.
Knight delivered the keynote address at the Commercializing Quantum Global 2025 conference in London on May 13, describing the programme as a deliberately designed “escalator” that carries breakthrough ideas from early-stage research to usable commercial products.
“What we've tried to do in the UK is to build an escalator… It's the deliberately planned programme,” he said.
Each hub plays a distinct but interlocking role in this vision:
Quantum Computing and Simulation Hub (University of Oxford) focuses on hardware and software architectures, error correction, and algorithms for near- and long-term applications. Its work underpins the UK’s aspirations to build a leading quantum computing demonstrator.
Quantum Communications Hub (University of York) leads the development of ultra-secure, future-proof communications technologies, including quantum key distribution (QKD), satellite-enabled cryptography, and chip-based solutions for secure networks.
Quantum Sensing and Timing Hub (University of Birmingham) is advancing quantum sensors and clocks for navigation, defense, healthcare, and infrastructure use. Its outputs include commercial-ready gravity sensors and wearable brain imaging systems.
Quantum Enhanced Imaging Hub (University of Glasgow), or QuantIC, is pioneering multidimensional cameras and ultra-sensitive imaging techniques — from seeing through smoke and skin to visualizing gas leaks and environmental conditions.
Quantum Enabled Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Hub (University of Glasgow) focuses on technologies to improve navigation and timing without satellite reliance, with implications for transport, defense, and energy resilience.
Each hub links fundamental science with commercialization, spinning out companies, securing industry investment, and feeding skilled talent into the growing ecosystem.
Strategic Roadmap Unveiled in London
During a keynote at Commercializing Quantum Global 2025 on May 13, Sir Peter Knight delivered these insights, hosted by The Economist in London. He outlined a multi-layered strategy focused on discovery and scale, an urgent priority for nations competing in the quantum domain.
Over the past decade, the UK has invested more than £1.1 billion in quantum technologies through public programmes. This funding supports a pipeline that stretches from basic research to late-stage testing and commercial deployment.
“We’ve been running for 10 years… and what it’s enabled us to do is to look at the entire breadth of things involving quantum technologies,” Knight said.
The National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC), a collaborative institution headquartered at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, is a centerpiece of this strategy.
“They’re there to address the challenge of scaling, especially in the various platforms,” Knight explained.
The NQCC, supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), brings together technical experts and commercial users to accelerate platform readiness.
One of its most impactful initiatives is the testbed programme, which allows government departments and businesses to trial multiple quantum computing architectures — including trapped ions, silicon, neutral atoms, and photonics.
“This will enable us to have the right information before we prematurely otherwise down-select,” Knight noted.
The programme also accelerates user adoption by letting the industry explore different quantum solutions hands-on.
Tackling Hype and Hard Problems
Despite rising investor interest and media attention, Knight cautioned against overhyping the technology and denying its progress.
“There is a danger with hype, but there’s equally a danger from people who say it’s never going to happen,” he said.
He illustrated this tension using what he called the “quantum mountain,” a graph showing qubit count, error rates, and coherent operations on three logarithmic axes.
“Even by the end of the mission, we’re still in the foothills,” he admitted. However, Knight emphasized that 2024 had seen meaningful gains in quantum error correction — an essential milestone toward fault-tolerant systems.
“The journey towards fault tolerance is now much closer than it was. The progress… over this last year has been profound,” he said.
He called for realism: neither naive optimism nor dismissive pessimism. Referring to Lord Kelvin’s failed predictions — including his statement that “heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible” — Knight quipped, “Let us not be Lord Kelvins… in terms of the denial of where we’re going.”
His message: quantum technologies are complicated but progressing fast, and countries that don’t build the capability now may miss out later.
Long-Term Investment, Global Alliances
While recent headlines focused on the £121 million allocated for quantum in the 2025–26 fiscal year, Knight emphasized the importance of long-term continuity. The NQTP’s 10-year commitment — anchored in billion-pound investments, policy alignment, and national infrastructure — is about creating enduring capabilities.
The government has funded a network of institutions critical to commercialization: the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Digital Catapult, Fraunhofer CAP in Glasgow, and the Henry Royce Institute. These groups offer facilities for testing, characterizing, and validating quantum systems, giving startups and researchers access to industrial-grade infrastructure.
Moreover, agencies like the National Security and Investment Fund (NSIF) and British Business Bank invest directly in early-stage ventures.
“NSIF has invested in seven quantum startups already, and in 21 more generally in technology,” Knight said.
These arms ensure that promising companies get the capital they need to scale.
On the international front, the UK has signed memoranda of understanding with several countries to collaborate on quantum development.
“We do and will do it with our international colleagues,” Knight confirmed. These partnerships allow shared platform access, standards development, and knowledge transfer.
The UK is also leading in global engagement, including hosting events for the UNESCO International Year of Quantum — a campaign that Knight is chairing.
From Lab to GDP Impact
With around 45 quantum startups active in the UK, the country's early investment is beginning to pay off. Reports from McKinsey and others suggest that quantum computing alone could contribute £11 billion to the UK GDP by 2045 and generate thousands of high-value jobs.
The UK must continue aligning its science base with industrial needs to get there.
“Our struggle will be focused on scale — how do we deliver stuff at a larger scale?” Knight asked. A full-spectrum approach — from doctoral training to regulatory frameworks — remains central to that effort.
And while quantum computing often takes the spotlight, Knight reminded the audience that other quantum domains are just as crucial. “I usually say it’s more than just quantum computing… sensing and timing are equally important,” he noted.
Knight remains confident in its approach as the UK positions itself at the forefront of the quantum economy.
“We remain open for business,” he said. “I think we have breadth. We have depth. We’ve worked a lot on community—building a partnership with our friends around the world to enable this really to happen.”