Image source: DSIT, Open Government Licence v3.0
The National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) has been officially opened with a prediction that it will help deliver breakthroughs in areas including healthcare, public safety, energy and AI.
The 4,000 square meter facility based at the Harwell Campus was opened on Friday by Science Minister Lord Vallance.
It houses 12 quantum computers and will offer open access to industry, academia and other sectors across the UK.
More than 70 staff will be based there, and the centre will also host opportunities for students, including the world’s first dedicated quantum apprenticeship programme, 30 PhD studentships, summer placements, and crash courses for those in industry.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said that, unlike many global counterparts, the NQCC’s systems are not restricted to government ownership or use, enabling anyone with a valid use case to harness its capabilities. This promises transformative benefits for both the public and private sectors.
Solving complex problems
Quantum computing involves information being represented in multiple states at once - meaning it can be both ‘on’ and ‘off’ at the same time – making it possible to tackle complex problems in much less time than conventional computing models. It has the potential to solve complex computational problems in seconds, minutes, or hours—tasks that would take today’s supercomputers years, decades or even millennia.
DSIT said the centre could contribute to advances in the NHS and public safety, and pointed to areas in which it could be applied, including: accelerating the development of new medicines by speeding up the analysis of molecular structures; climate prediction; energy grid optimisation; and advances in AI for processes such as medical diagnostics and fraud detection.
It added that the UK’s quantum technology sector is a global leader, with a thriving ecosystem of companies, research institutions and talent. The UK is home to the second largest quantum sector globally, backed by substantial private investment.
Lord Vallance, said: "The National Quantum Computing Centre marks a vital step forward in the UK’s efforts to advance quantum technologies.
“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 centre will help them solve some of the biggest challenges we face, whether it’s delivering advances in healthcare, enhancing energy efficiency, tackling climate change or inventing new materials.
“The innovations that will emerge from the work the NQCC will do will ultimately improve lives across the country and ensure the UK seizes the economic benefits of its leadership in quantum technologies"
Research hubs and PhDs
The opening of the centre follows other recent initiatives, including the provision of £100 million for new quantum research hubs and funding for five quantum centres for doctoral training, which will train over 300 PhDs in the next four years.
The centre is supported through by an initial £93 million investment from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), delivered through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and Science and Technology Facilities Council.
UKRI has also invested a further £50 million, including through the Technology Missions Fund.
