Quantum tech hub to arrive in Birmingham after £100m investment

Five quantum technology hubs will be developed across England and Scotland in a £100m boost.

Peter Kyle, the science secretary has announced funds to establish the hubs in Birmingham, Oxford, Glasgow, Edinburgh and London, which aim to develop groundbreaking quantum technologies that will directly impact people’s lives in areas like healthcare, security, and clean energy.

The University of Birmingham will develop advanced sensing technologies with the ability to ‘see the invisible’. This could mean detecting gas leaks before they become a danger or pinpointing hidden objects that pose safety risks.

It will be known as the UK Quantum Technology Hub in Sensing, Imaging and Timing at the University of Birmingham and it also will focus on the development of quantum sensing for practical applications such as brain scanners for dementia and cancer diagnostics.

Hubs will be delivered by the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), following a £106m investment from EPSRC, the UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Research Council, UKRI Medical Research Council, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

Kyle told The Guardian: “We are at the foothills of where quantum technology is going to take us and that provides a huge opportunity for British science and British research and development.

“If we get this right, we can become global leaders, which means not just solving challenges domestically and creating opportunities domestically, but being able to fully exploit the global market as well.”