Q-CTRL has been awarded £1 million by the UK’s Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Quantum Catalyst Fund Competition. The funding will be used to develop quantum hardware-optimized algorithmic solvers to enhance train scheduling efficiency for the Department for Transport and Network Rail. The software aims to optimize train schedules, reducing transit time, operating costs, and emissions. The project builds on Q-CTRL’s expertise in quantum computing for logistics and transport, developed with customers including Transport for NSW and the Australian Army. The software will be tested on Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) systems.
Q-CTRL Secures £1 Million in Quantum Catalyst Competition
Q-CTRL, a company specializing in developing quantum technologies through quantum control infrastructure software, has won the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Quantum Catalyst Fund Competition. The company’s winning proposal, awarded £1 million in funding, involves the creation of new quantum-hardware-optimized algorithmic solvers. These solvers, built on Q-CTRL’s proprietary performance management software, will be used by the Department for Transport and Network Rail to optimize train scheduling for large-scale rail networks and detailed station routing.
The SBRI competition, funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Innovate UK (IUK), aims to explore the potential benefits of using quantum technologies in various areas of interest for the UK government. The competition was divided into two stages: Phase 1, which lasted three months and had a total budget of £2 million, and Phase 2, which extended for 15 months and had a total budget of up to £15 million. Q-CTRL was one of six entries that progressed to Phase 2 and received a share of the £15 million funding pool.
Quantum Computing for Logistics and Transport
Q-CTRL’s proposal builds on the company’s extensive experience in quantum computing for logistics and transport. The company has previously worked with customers such as Transport for NSW and the Australian Army. The UK Science Minister, Andrew Griffith MP, expressed his support for the project, stating that the additional £45 million in funding demonstrates the government’s commitment to supporting UK innovators who are pushing the boundaries of technology and harnessing the potential of quantum technology to transform public services.
The Department for Transport and Network Rail is interested in using state-of-the-art quantum solutions for scheduling to improve transit time, increase robustness to delays, and reduce operating costs and emissions. The winning proposal from Q-CTRL involves the development of a quantum optimization algorithm for high-performance scheduling that can run efficiently on quantum computer hardware.
Quantum Optimization for High-Performance Scheduling
Researchers and engineers at Q-CTRL will tailor the quantum optimization algorithm to run efficiently on quantum computer hardware. The software will be tested on systems from Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) and is designed to be user-friendly for anyone in the Department for Transport and Network Rail’s scheduling team without requiring any expertise in quantum computing.
Andre Carvalho, Head of Quantum Control Solutions at Q-CTRL, stated that the funding represents a significant step towards the practical application of quantum computing. By optimizing train schedules with quantum algorithms, the company aims to enhance efficiency, reduce emissions, and pave the way for quantum technologies to solve real-world problems and make a tangible impact on people’s lives.
Q-CTRL and OQC Collaboration
Q-CTRL’s expertise in delivering useful quantum solutions using performance-management infrastructure software for quantum computers, combined with OQC’s advanced quantum processors, will enable the Department to prototype quantum solutions for their most pressing challenges easily. This collaboration will provide real insights into the future of quantum computing for their sector.
Quantum computing is an emerging technology with the potential to transform a wide range of industries. In the near term, quantum optimization for transport, logistics, and machine learning is a promising area for early value capture, where even small computational benefits can deliver significant advantages.
About Q-CTRL
Q-CTRL’s quantum control infrastructure software is designed for R&D professionals and quantum computing end users. It delivers high-performance error-correcting and suppressing techniques globally and provides a unique capability accelerating the pathway to the first useful quantum computers and quantum sensors. The company also operates a leading quantum sensing division focused on software-level innovation for strategic capability. Q-CTRL has developed Black Opal, an edtech platform that enables users to quickly learn quantum computing. Founded by Michael J. Biercuk in 2017, Q-CTRL has become a leading product-focused software company in the broader quantum sector.