The British government has announced five Quantum Missions to build the United Kingdom’s capabilities in Quantum Computing and Quantum technology. Announced on the 22nd of November 2023, the National Quantum Strategy Missions have five specific missions, which include building a quantum computer capable of running 1 trillionĀ calculations by 2035. The aim is also to create a Quantum Internet, use quantum sensing within the NHS and quantum sensors in various sectors, and utilize quantum clocks deployed across the critical infrastructure in the transport, telecoms, energy, and defense sectors.
There were rumblings of a Quantum Moonshot reported yesterday by the Telegraph to be announced by Jeremey Hunt (Chancellor of the Exchequer) in the Autumn announcements. Back in March 2023, the government published theĀ National Quantum Strategy, where it committed to publishing long-term quantum missions to galvanize technology development towards ambitious outcomes.
With the biggest impacts for quantum technologies expected in the long-term, time-bound missions can crystallize where we want to get to as a country, focusing the activity and investment needed in the public and private sectors.
UK Quantum Missions
Summary of the Quantum Missions
Mission 1: Quantum Computers
By 2035, there will be accessible, UK-based quantum computers capable of running 1 trillion operationsĀ and supporting applications that provide benefits well in excess of classical supercomputers across key sectors of the economy.
We will do this through three mutually reinforcing core outcomes:
- To have competitive UK-based commercial capabilities across hardware, control architecture, and the supply chain that can enable performance in excess of 1 trillion coherent quantum operations;
- To combine this operational capacity with algorithm development and software capabilities to complete multiple useful calculations of significant value to the economy and society on a quantum computer ā ones that are not practically possible on the worldās most powerful supercomputers. High impact will be achieved in the following sectors at a minimum: healthcare, finance, transport, defence, energy, and manufacturing; and
- To seamlessly integrate quantum computing into high performance computational workflows, enabling user access and widespread adoption, accompanied by user readiness support across the UK economy.
The mission will set out a scaled approach to achieving the mission, with industrial milestones including:
- By 2028, extending beyond the NISQ-era with 10 a million quantum operations, which will enable the exploration of applications associated with the simulation of chemical processes, helping to improve catalyst design for example.
- By 2032, demonstrating large-scale error correction capabilities with 10 a billion quantum operations, with applications including accelerated drug discovery.
- By 2035, achieving quantum advantage at scale through reaching 10 a trillion quantum operations, enabling applications such as optimising the production of clean hydrogen.
Direction and clarity have been given to precisely what 1 trillion calculations mean. Analogously supercomputers are measured in FLOPS, we are seeing some defined metrics that the government is expecting to achieve. According to the definition, 1 trillion operations refers to the number of operations a quantum computer can perform before a single logical error occurs. This compares to a few hundred error-free quantum operations on todayās fastest machines. It is estimated such a task could take between a few minutes and a few days, depending on the design of the computer. Timing expectations will be further defined as the mission programme progresses.
Current Quantum computers currently operate in the NISQ regime, NISQ stands for “Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum.” This term was coined by John Preskill in 2018 to describe a class of quantum computers that represent the technology’s current stage of development. NISQ devices are characterized by their intermediate size of 50 to a few hundred qubits and their “noisy” nature, meaning they are prone to errors in quantum bit (qubit) operation and coherence that can affect the outcome of quantum computations.
āThe quantum computing mission announced today shows the scale of the UK ambition to maintain a lasting, critical role in the global quantum ecosystem. Now the industry has proven that building a quantum computer is possible, the next step is to develop theĀ key technologies that can correct the billions of errors currently preventing these devices from becoming useful. Itās great to see the UK commit to becoming more focused in this direction, building on the key areas where it already has an advantage.ā
Steve Brierley CEO of RiverlaneĀ
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Mission 2: Quantum Networks
By 2035, the UK will have deployed the worldās most advanced quantum network at scale, pioneering the future quantum internet.
To deliver on the broad opportunities that are presented by quantum technologies, they will need to become firmly integrated within our digital infrastructure, including priority Future Telecoms platforms such as satellite communications. This will transform the way we secure, transmit and compute our data. The mission will focus on achieving the following outcomes:
- Scale computing: A quantum network in 2035 will see clusters of quantum processors networked together within and between data centres to scale computing power, turbocharging our ability to unlock high impact applications. This outcome will be integrated with Mission 1.
- Nationwide connectivity: We will be able to connect researchers and users in major cities and locations across the whole of the UK, enabling them to share information in a quantum state to facilitate secure, trustworthy, and remote access to capabilities and data.
- Early commercialisation: This mission will support further testing, demonstration, and evaluation of near-term commercial opportunities in quantum communications and component technologies. This will build the supply chain and operational learnings, providing the stepping-stone needed for future networks.
- International: The opportunities are global and the UK will work with at least five other countries to collaborate on developing underpinning technologies and connectivity with international quantum networks, including through satellite links. The UK will also take a leadership role in developing quantum networking standards.
- Future Quantum Internet: At the end of the mission, the UK will have the capability to send quantum information from the local to the global scale and to exploit this for the benefit of our economy and society. This will be year 0 for what will become known as the quantum internet.
āWith a heritage of research and a growing pool of world-leading talent, the UK has a quantum ecosystem unlike any in the world. The timely and ongoing government support outlined in todayās Statement further cements this status. It also gives us a deeper look at the timelines of the governmentās ambitious plans.
Dr Chris Ballance, CEO of Oxford Ionics
āThis is because the announcement is so much more than the headline pledges, itās a call to arms. The government is sending a clear signal of the UKās unwavering commitment to becoming the leader in the quantum revolution. It represents both a strategic investment in our nation’s future as well as a profound vote of confidence in our ability to lead, innovate and compete on the world stage.ā
āUK-based companies punch above their weight in the quantum computing scene. Weāve proved time and again that the UK is an ecosystem rich in innovation, collaboration, and potential. Itās why global leaders continue to seek out startups like ours to partner with on flagship projects. Now, with this renewed support, we can continue to drive the market, set new benchmarks and finish this race.ā
Mission 3: Quantum Sensing Applications in the NHS
By 2030, every NHS Trust will benefit from quantum sensing-enabled solutions, helping those with chronic illness live healthier, longer lives through early diagnosis and treatment.
To deliver on the broad opportunities presented by quantum technologies to reduce costs and save lives, quantum-enabled products and services will need to become integrated within our NHS. This mission will build on early UK successes in the development of products to revolutionise healthcare capabilities and pull these through to adoption, providing a firm foundation to grow the UK quantum medical device industry sector.
The mission will also generate a pipeline of next-generation technologies which harness quantum physics to deliver early-stage diagnoses and improved surgical outcomes, across areas such as dementia, epilepsy, cancer, cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases, as well as quantum for life sciences.
Outcomes of this mission include:
- Brain Scanning: By 2028, quantum-enabled brain scanners will enable precision-guided surgery for children suffering severe neurological disease to improve recovery and outcomes. By 2030, adoption of these scanners in dementia will have enabled new research at scale ā driving inward investment by global pharmaceutical companies developing dementia drugs.
- Cancer detection: By 2030, new quantum imaging technologies for breast cancer detection will be in use across hospitals in the UK, significantly reducing the need for unnecessary chemotherapy. Hospital trials across a wide range of cancer types will also be well advanced.
- Technology Pipeline: By the end of the mission, a transformative pipeline of healthcare and life sciences technologies will have emerged. This will include: ultra-sensitive rapid tests for infectious diseases; ultra-precise surgery to remove early-stage tumours; portable, quantum-enhanced imaging capabilities to enable rapid examination at bedsides; and new sensing platforms to provide new insights into disease evolution, early detection, and drug monitoring.
Mission 4: Quantum Navigation
By 2030, quantum navigation systems, including clocks, will be deployed on aircraft, providing next-generation accuracy for resilience that is independent of satellite signals.
This mission will develop and commercially exploit quantum navigation systems that are small enough to be deployed on aircraft (amongst other transport systems), combining technologies such as quantum clocks, accelerometers, and rotation sensors/gyroscopes, as well as embedding technologies for ultra-precise mapping. It forms part of a longer-term aim to reach chip-scale ā unlocking the ability to integrate these systems into mobile phone-sized systems ā and will therefore include facilitation of the fabrication and manufacturing capabilities needed to achieve this. The approach will deliver on a core element of the governmentās Position, Navigation & Timing (PNT) Policy Framework published on 18th October 2023 (point 10) to accelerate R&D into quantum navigation and the next generation of optical clocks. The mission will target outcomes to:
- Bridge the āvalley of deathā by pulling-through promising research in quantum navigation systems and demonstrating their integration into moving platforms, bringing together innovators, systems integrators and researchers towards a common goal.
- Reduce the size, weight and power of current capabilities to enable systems integration and increase usability.
- Develop āadoption layersā to support understanding of the technology and how to embed it in wider transport systems.
- Demonstrate capabilities in real-world settings, de-risking adoption for businesses.
- Exploit the commercial opportunity by taking a UK lead in frontier navigation technology, opening up further opportunities across areas such as robotics and drones.
- Provide additional resilience to the UK in the face of GNSS-denial through delivery of independent systems and more precise timing in the future.
Mission 5: Quantum Sensors
By 2030, mobile, networked quantum sensors will have unlocked new situational awareness capabilities, exploited across critical infrastructure in the transport, telecoms, energy, and defence sectors.
This mission focuses on enhancing the capacity and resilience of critical national infrastructure, with significant benefits in cost reduction and supporting Net Zero ambitions. It addresses a core challenge across quantum sensing capabilities, where individual sectors and businesses see the bridge to exploitation and adoption into existing systems as too high risk to fund alone. This mission will therefore focus on accelerating the development of common technological capabilities to catalyse the private investment needed to pull through to adoption. By the end of the mission, key sectors will have deployed these new capabilities in industrial settings, with further exploitation opportunities around the world being realised. Expected applications include:
- Transport: These systems will revolutionise asset management and planning in the transport sector, unleashing underground sensing capabilities that improve the monitoring and maintenance of subsurface attributes.
- Telecoms: Provide next generation quantum-enabled sensors for capacity building and resilience. For example, high-bandwidth RF sensors or resilient optical links.
- Energy: Protect and support energy storage and transportation through quantum-enabled gas sensors to accurately see and measure emissions of greenhouse and other gases.
- Defence: The significantly increased ability through these systems to find objects in challenging environments will unlock a range of applications throughout the defence sector.
āThe UK is a global leader in quantum computing and weāre delighted to see continued commitment from the UK Government toĀ quantum missions that will be delivered over the next decade.Ā Among other applications, quantum computers will enable rapid and accurate modelling of novel materials that are vital for the clean energy revolution.
Ashley Montanaro, co-founder and CEO of Phasecraft
āThe long-term support for work on quantum hardware, algorithms and software provided by the UK’s Quantum Computing Mission is essential to help the industry go beyond these early advantages. As other countries invest heavily in this area, itās very welcome to see the UK government backing the sector with additional funding which will enable quantum computers to deliver a host of scientific and technological breakthroughs of great benefit to society.ā
Executive Summary
One immediate surprise is that operations are chosen instead of other metrics, such as the number of qubits, quantum volume, or even quantum utility. Each metric could be arguably more straightforward to measure and more transparent. Atom Computing has already reached 1,000 qubits, and IBM will likely be next on its roadmap to hit 1,000 qubits. Could the reason chosen to select operations rather than qubits be because it’s more opaque and difficult to measure? Does the inner skeptic prevail?
The missions are all laudable and hopefully spur the UK quantum system into life with a new impetus. Several quantum companies, from start-ups to scale-ups like Quantinuum developing quantum programming languages and Quantum Machine Learning, already comprise everything from companies working on Qubits to Quantum companies building the Software Tools and algorithms that the quantum ecosystem needs.
We’ll see in the coming years whether the push from the UK is aggressive enough against the technological superpowers of the US and perhaps China, who realise how critical quantum technology can be for a range of areas from commerce to defence.