Professor Ramana Nanda from Imperial Business School will direct a new initiative, the UK Quantum SuperConnector, in partnership with Dr. Jess Wade from Imperial’s Department of Materials as Deputy Director. The consortium, comprised of Imperial, University of Bristol, University of Cambridge, University of Glasgow and University of Oxford, aims to translate the UK’s leading quantum research into viable businesses.
Funded by UK Research and Innovation through the Quantum IS8 programme, the SuperConnector will build a national network to support quantum entrepreneurs and attract investment. “We want to help researchers see how exciting entrepreneurship can be and support them in turning lab breakthroughs into commercial success,” said Dr. Wade.
Imperial Leads UK Quantum SuperConnector Initiative
The initiative will use its WestTech London network to increase the impact of the newly launched UK Quantum SuperConnector, a program designed to encourage commercial ventures stemming from quantum research. This expansion beyond the university’s immediate sphere aims to unite innovation capabilities across West London and connect regional clusters nationwide, creating a broader ecosystem for quantum technology development.
The SuperConnector’s structure prioritizes linking regional strengths in research, entrepreneurship and industry, intending to establish robust innovation clusters throughout the UK and support the growth of globally competitive companies. The initiative’s focus extends beyond simply funding research; it will deliver a national skills ‘centre’ accessible to researchers across the UK, accelerating the adoption of quantum technologies and attracting investment.
Professor Ramana Nanda, Director of the SuperConnector, highlighted the unique position of the UK to capitalize on its quantum research leadership, noting, “The UK has a unique opportunity to turn its world-leading quantum research into globally competitive companies that will create jobs and drive economic growth.” The SuperConnector is intended to unlock this potential by streamlining the transition from scientific discovery to tangible economic impact and cultivating a new generation of quantum entrepreneurs. Imperial, in particular, brings the expertise of its Business School to the partnership, enhancing the consortium’s ability to translate scientific innovation into viable commercial ventures.
The SuperConnector will concentrate on building commercial skills and networks to transform quantum research into valuable assets, including new ventures, licensing opportunities and collaborative research and development projects. A central aim of the SuperConnector is to identify commercial applications for quantum technologies in critical sectors such as healthcare, finance, aerospace and defense.
The program is actively seeking engagement from the wider quantum community and beyond, inviting researchers, founders, investors and industry representatives to contribute through an Expression of Interest form. Opportunities for involvement range from joining a program or mentoring a founder to presenting industry challenges, hosting secondees, sharing best practices, contributing to training, or investing in emerging ventures.
Alongside accelerators and masterclasses, the initiative will bring researchers together with industry, end-users, investors and other partners to explore real-world challenges, test where the demand is, and help shape quantum technologies around genuine routes to adoption. The initiative aims to ensure the UK captures the economic opportunities created by its quantum leadership, re-industrializing the nation as an innovation-led, research-driven economy and using its exceptional higher education assets to achieve this ambition.
“The UK Quantum SuperConnector will help unlock that potential by accelerating the journey from breakthrough science to real-world impact and helping to create the next generation of entrepreneurs and world-leading quantum companies across the UK,” Professor Nanda concluded.
The UK has a unique opportunity to turn its world-leading quantum research into globally competitive companies that will create jobs and drive economic growth.
Professor Ramana Nanda, Imperial Business School
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