The United Kingdom’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL) will establish the National Quantum Standards Network (QSN) to bring together common standards for game-changing quantum technology.
The UK government said this is a new national network to coordinate standards for the quantum technologies that will revolutionise everything from medicine to banking and transport will strengthen the ability of British companies to grow at home and sell around the world.
Supported by £10 million from the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, it is intended to bring together government, industry, and academia to engage with UK companies – ensuring their products are developed to internationally recognised standards.
The QSN will oversee everything from the linewidths of the ultra-narrow lasers needed to control qubits inside a quantum computer, to the size, weight and energy-efficiency requirements that will ensure one quantum sensor’s reading can be trusted against another’s.
Also, the QSN will bring together government, industry, academia and standards bodies, including the British Standards Institution and UKRI’s National Quantum Computing Centre.
Standards already underpin services we rely on, like using our mobile phones abroad and sending data securely. Doing the same with quantum will help speed up adoption of the technology, and could help with everyday tasks like supporting sensitive transactions for banks all over the world.
Science Minister Lord Vallance, who announced the initiative, said quantum could bring benefits to society as significant as what is being seen with AI, with the potential to deliver new medicines, better public services, and protect finances.
“The UK’s quantum sector is already a global leader. With the National Quantum Standards Network we will accelerate its growth, meaning more British jobs and investment into our economy from all over the world,” he said.
The QSN is expected to give British companies a voice in standards over the long term in a sector which has the potential to add £212 billion to the UK economy and add 100,000 jobs.
The UK government earlier this year announced a £2-billion into quantum, which includes £1.2 billion towards the procurement of large-scale quantum computers, so companies can have confidence bringing technologies from the lab to market.
“By coordinating expertise across the UK quantum ecosystem, the network will accelerate technology adoption, boost UK competitiveness and support the safe and ethical development of quantum technologies,” said Peter Thompson, CEO at NPL.
The UK is a big quantum player. In a recent vote of confidence, Vescent – which manufactures quantum tech – recently chose NPL as the location for its first office outside the United States.
