Oxford chosen to help lead quantum computing research
Oxford University has been selected to lead one of five new research hubs dedicated to advancing quantum technologies.
The UK government has allocated £100 million to fund these hubs, which aim to achieve breakthroughs in areas like healthcare, cybersecurity, and transport. Oxford will head the Hub for Quantum Computing, collaborating with industry partners to develop applications in material design, chemical modeling, fluid simulations, and machine learning.
Experts suggest that quantum physics could revolutionize problem-solving, enabling computations that take traditional computers years to complete in just minutes.
The hub’s research will involve over 50 co-investigators specializing in various aspects of quantum computing, spread across 18 institutions in the UK. The work will focus on three main areas:
- Enhancing quantum computing performance through hardware research to demonstrate advantages across different platforms
- Developing networking technologies to scale quantum systems and create distributed quantum computing networks
- Collaborating with scientists and engineers to design algorithms that test and optimize the developed quantum hardware
Professor Charlotte Deane, executive chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), emphasized the transformative potential of quantum technologies. "Harnessing quantum properties will offer unprecedented analytical power at the molecular level, unlocking revolutionary possibilities across sectors such as healthcare, infrastructure, and computing," she said.
Oxfordshire also hosts the National Quantum Computing Centre, located at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Harwell near Didcot.
