- New statement of intent by UK and US to boost collaboration
on quantum technologies
- signed by Science Minister and Director of the Office
of Science and Technology Policy and Science Advisor to the
President, Dr Eric Lander
- announcement comes on same day as Innovate UK also announce
result of £50 million domestic competition to fund 12 projects
aiming to commercialise quantum technologies
The United Kingdom and the United States of America have signed a
new joint statement of intent
to boost collaboration on quantum science and technologies –
helping to realise the full potential of the technology and
deepen ties between the 2 countries.
Signed today by the Science Minister and the US Director of the
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Science
Advisor to the President, Dr Eric Lander, the statement sets out
shared priorities for continued cooperation between the 2
nations, including promoting joint research, building the global
market and supply chain and training the next generation of
scientists and engineers.
The agreement builds on the UK and USA’s long history of
world-leading research partnerships, including in quantum
information science and technology, and follows June’s
announcement that the UK and USA will develop a new partnership
on technology.
UK Science Minister said:
Quantum technologies are set to revolutionise computing with huge
opportunities across our economy and society: from everyday
functions like medical diagnosis and drug discovery to cyber
security and AI.
The UK and US have been at the forefront of advancing this
cutting edge area of science and technology.
Today’s agreement is the latest chapter in the close partnership
between our 2 countries in science and innovation, and I look
forward to seeing the results for both nations in the years
ahead.
US Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and
Science Advisor to the President, Dr Eric Lander said:
Science transcends borders, and cooperation with partners
accelerates the way we bring technologies to market. I am
delighted we can deepen our relationship with the UK on quantum
information science. By working together, we can broaden training
opportunities, develop new applications for quantum technology,
and think globally about how to maximize the benefits of these
technologies for everyone.
The technologies that have transformed our lives - the building
blocks of modern computers, the mobile phone, the laser, the
MRI scanner – are
all products of quantum science. This involves harnessing the
unique ways that light and matter behave at tiny atomic or
subatomic levels.
A new generation of quantum technologies exploit breakthroughs in
the way that we are able to precisely manipulate and measure
these special properties, to engineer quantum devices with
dramatically enhanced functionality and performance.
Today’s agreement will also see the National Physical Laboratory
and the National Institute of Standards and Technology explore
ways to grow their long-standing partnership between quantum
programmes through alignment of projects and the exchange of
staff and students in key areas, including quantum metrology,
computing, clocks and future technical standards.
This statement of intent also aims to facilitate new research
partnerships, as well as grow ties between businesses in the UK
and US. In the coming months, UK and US industry will meet to
establish new connections and explore future opportunities to
work together to grow the global quantum industry.
The UK and US have a well-established history of close
cooperation on cutting-edge quantum science and technology. In
January, the government announced support for 3 projects
involving UK and US collaborators to apply quantum technologies
to fundamental physics questions about the universe.
An enhanced partnership between UK Research & Innovation and
the US National Science Foundation is further intended to help
facilitate new research collaborations in quantum.
International partnerships are part of a wider £1 billion
government and industry investment through the National Quantum
Technologies Programme to commercialise quantum innovations and
secure the UK’s status as a world-leader in quantum science and
technologies.
The signing comes as Innovate UK also announces £50 million from
their £170 million Commercialising Quantum Technologies challenge
for 12 projects, including a quantum computing system that can
model and predict the properties of drugs, leading to
significantly faster and more efficient drug discovery.
Notes to editors
The £50 million of domestic funding announced today is part of
UKRI’s £170
million Commercialising Quantum Technologies challenge, which
aims to encourage private investment and create economic and
societal benefits through driving innovation across a range of
sectors including automotive, healthcare, infrastructure,
telecommunications, cybersecurity and defence.
