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📍 Harwell, Oxfordshire — July 11, 2025
The UK government has announced a landmark £670 million investment in quantum computing, providing a 10-year funding settlement for the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC)—the first of its kind in the country. The funding aims to accelerate breakthroughs in healthcare, cybersecurity, clean energy, and transport, positioning the UK as a global leader in quantum technologies.
🧠 About the NQCC Located at the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Harwell Campus, the NQCC is a national centre focused on overcoming the engineering challenges of scaling quantum computers. Its 4,000-square-metre facility will house 12 quantum computing platforms, open to researchers, businesses, and innovators with valid use cases.
🔬 Strategic Importance Quantum computing harnesses subatomic particles to perform complex calculations far beyond the capabilities of classical computers. Applications include:
- Optimising energy grids and national infrastructure
- Accelerating drug discovery for the NHS
- Enhancing navigation systems in GPS-denied environments
🗣️ Government and Industry Support Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle described quantum as being at an “inflection point,” with the potential to transform everyday life.
“This bumper funding package gives businesses and innovators the confidence to commit to bold efforts that will make quantum’s transformative potential a reality,” Kyle said.
NQCC Director Dr Michael Cuthbert called the investment “an enormous boost” and a signal of the UK’s ambition to be a key international player in quantum computing.
📈 National Quantum Strategy Missions The funding forms part of the UK’s Digital and Technologies Sector Plan, under the broader Industrial Strategy, which includes goals to:
- Develop quantum computers that outperform supercomputers by 2035
- Deploy quantum technologies in healthcare, energy, and national security
- Support commercialisation through the National Quantum Technologies Programme
For more details, see the UKRI announcement, the government’s Industrial Strategy press release, and the Quantum Computing Report.
