Last month the new Harwell Quantum Cluster was officially launched at Oxfordshire’s Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, putting the focus on a rapidly-accelerating technology.
The launch was hailed as a pivotal step in the UK’s ambition to lead the global quantum revolution. We’ve set out some questions and answers to show why it’s so significant.
What is a cluster?
A cluster is a frictionless, connected ecosystem all within one campus. It allows innovators to access shared infrastructure, testbeds, and end-user partnerships.
Why Harwell?
Harwell is a strategic national asset in the Oxford-Cambridge innovation corridor, and is home to the UK’s largest concentration of national research facilities. It has a track record in successful clusters in space, energy tech and health tech. It is also home to the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC), which will serve as the cluster’s anchor facility. Harwell’s proven cluster model and the work of the quantum companies already on site has successfully attracted over £250 million of private investment.
What’s the aim of the Quantum Cluster?
It will accelerate quantum innovation and scale emerging technologies. In the next 10 years, it aims to grow 100 quantum-focused companies, create more than 1,000 skilled jobs and attract over £1 billion in public and private investment.
How will establishing the Quantum Cluster help with scaling up?
The Quantum Cluster will bring together government, academia, and industry, as well as attracting investors. Harwell has signed a signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Quantum Exponential Group plc, the UK’s first listed investment company dedicated to quantum technology. The partnership will help early-stage companies access funding, mentorship, and global markets. Quantum Exponential has launched fundraising for a new £100 million venture capital fund dedicated to the commercialisation of UK quantum innovation.
How will it position the UK globally?
The Cluster will act as the UK’s international gateway for collaboration and investment, building partnerships with major global clusters in Europe, Canada, the United States, and Japan. The NQCC recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Japan’s National Institute of Advanced industrial Science and Technology.
Why is quantum so important?
It has been described as big if not bigger than AI, and a technology that will be felt in every aspect of our daily lives. Quantum technology can solve problems that would take ordinary computers billions of years to complete. The quantum sector could be worth up to $97bn (£74bn) by 2035, according to McKinsey.
Which sectors is quantum research being directed at?
Healthcare is a big focus, as it will speed up the discover of new drugs and medication and potentially revolutionise scanning techniques. Applications are also being examined in navigation, logistics, and energy, as well as national security.
As Dr Barbara Ghinelli, Director, Innovation Clusters and Harwell Campus at the Science and Technology Facilities Council says: ‘Quantum will change every sector it touches, and Harwell is where that change becomes real.’
Aerial Image Courtesy of Harwell Campus