Innovate UK backed project will support research and development of technologies needed to scale and deploy quantum networks. The project will focus on building technologies for long-distance quantum links and validating them with network operators BT and Colt Technology Services. Toshiba plans to create prototype subsystems designed to integrate into existing fibre infrastructure, improving efficiency and reducing costs as networks expand. “Building quantum networks at scale requires cost-effective subsystems that can be readily integrated into today’s data communications infrastructure,” said Andrew Shields, Vice President of Toshiba Europe and Head of its Quantum Technology Division.
Toshiba’s £20mn Innovate UK Contract Advances Quantum Networking
Toshiba Europe will collaborate with BT and Colt Technology Services to validate prototype subsystems designed to improve quantum network expansion and operation, following a contract award from Innovate UK. The project directly supports the UK’s National Quantum Strategy, aiming for advanced quantum networks deployed at scale by 2035, and builds upon the company’s 25 years of quantum research and development. This validation phase ensures the solutions address real-world industry requirements, integrating with existing fibre infrastructure to lower costs and complexity.
The competition represents a combined £20 million investment in the UK’s quantum ecosystem, intending to strengthen the UK’s position within the quantum technology supply chain. Toshiba’s work focuses on increasing network resource efficiency and managing connectivity as user numbers grow, with a goal of improving asset use and reducing capital expenditure.
This approach is critical for connecting quantum processors in different data centres, potentially increasing quantum computing capability and accelerating breakthroughs in medicine and materials science. The company recently launched its Quantum-Safe Networking (QSN) Platform that helps organisations integrate quantum-safe protection across existing networks with reduced complexity, footprint and cost, Toshiba says. The project’s scope extends beyond simply building longer-distance links; it addresses the practicalities of scaling a quantum network to serve multiple users.
Efficiently managing connectivity and minimizing capital expenditure are key challenges in transitioning demonstrations to widespread deployment. By focusing on integration with existing infrastructure, Toshiba aims to lower the barriers to adoption and accelerate the realization of a future quantum internet capable of securely sharing quantum information between systems in different locations.
Building quantum networks at scale requires cost-effective subsystems that can be readily integrated into today’s data communications infrastructure.
Andrew Shields, Vice President of Toshiba Europe and Head of its Quantum Technology Division
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