The International Year of Quantum: Maintaining UK momentum amid global competition
2025 was named the International Year of Quantum (IYQ) by the UN, celebrating 100 years since the development of quantum mechanics, and bringing attention to the transformative potential of quantum technologies. This international showcase saw several countries take part in both national and international engagement
In the UK, the year was marked by significant community engagement, officially led by the Institute of Physics (IOP), most notably through UK Quantum Week in November - a coordinated series of events hosted by the Institute of Physics and partners. The week brought together researchers, industry, policymakers, and the public to showcase quantum science achievements and explore future applications, culminating in the UK National Quantum Technologies Showcase.
For the UK quantum ecosystem, the year highlighted three key imperatives: strengthening cross-sector collaboration, maintaining sustained public investment, and translating research excellence into commercial readiness amid intensifying global competition. 2025 showed both progress and the scale of the challenge ahead.
UK investment signals shift to market
The IYQ provided a timely backdrop against which significant investment commitments took shape in the UK. The UK committed over £1 billion to quantum technologies in the spending review period, building on 2025 announcements including £670 million for quantum computing in the industrial strategy, continuing a pattern of sustained capital investment into this sector. Meanwhile, a marked shift towards investing in bringing these innovations to market can be seen in £121 million for security applications and £14 million for quantum sensing and quantum-enabled positioning, navigation, and timing technologies.
Together, these announcements signal growing confidence that quantum solutions are moving towards market readiness, and that the UK intends to be at the forefront of that transition.
The IYQ and the global landscape
The IYQ was truly international, including the IYQ closing ceremonies being hosted in Accra, Ghana on 10-11 February 2026. It featured reflections on the last 100 years, lessons learned throughout the year, and a look towards securing the next decade of quantum technology and beyond. This collaboration was set against the backdrop of an increasingly competitive global quantum ecosystem. The UK was the first country to develop a national quantum strategy, but these strategies are now commonplace as governments pursue sovereign capability.
Companies are starting to see market-ready and near-term applications of quantum technologies, the adoption of which will be transformative. Early movers in quantum adoption stand to gain significant competitive advantage, and the UK must ensure it is well-positioned to supply, support, and benefit from quantum adoption at home.
The UK’s key strengths will be most evident in the depth of its research base, the quality of its quantum companies, and its ability to convene industry, academia, and government around shared goals. Building resilient quantum supply chains and reviewing dependencies on international suppliers for critical components will be equally important. In the next phase of the programme, the UK will need to translate this strong foundation into a competitive quantum industry.
techUK's role
With this in mind, techUK’s quantum activity in 2025 focused on what the UK needs to do to make the most of its quantum foundations. On World Quantum Day, techUK asked contributors to reflect on adoption with the question “How can the UK leverage the quantum opportunity?” The responses captured ecosystem thinking at a pivotal moment, reflecting confidence in the UK’s foundations and urgency to translate that potential into deployment.
2025 also saw the continuation of techUK’s Quantum Readiness Series which showcases how quantum technologies are starting to deliver impact across critical industries and sectors in the UK. As these technologies continue to progress towards deployment, this series helps organisations understand where they’ll see the most impact and why market readiness is imperative.
The critical phase ahead
The International Year of Quantum successfully elevated global attention on quantum technologies. The challenge now is ensuring that momentum translates into sustained progress, especially as quantum moves from research promise to market deployment.
Several developments signal that focus is shifting in the right direction. Quantum Insider has declared 2026 the Year of Quantum Security, citing the need to move beyond awareness and towards real-world deployment of post-quantum cryptography, quantum resilience, and intellectual property protection. With significant public investment already committed in the UK, securing quantum systems and digital infrastructure is an urgent priority where UK leadership could make a material difference.
At the international level, UNESCO’s Global Quantum Initiative (2026-2030) aims to ensure quantum development is inclusive, ethical, and serves the common good. The Responsible Quantum Industry Forum - led by NQCC with UKQuantum and techUK as industry co-chairs - positions the UK to actively shape this agenda and ensure industry voices inform how quantum technologies are developed and deployed responsibly.
For techUK, maintaining quantum at the forefront means supporting sectors as they prepare to adopt these technologies, advocating for investment in near-market applications, and continuing to make the case for the UK as a leading destination for quantum talent, investment, and commercialisation. The test of the IYQ’s success will be whether this momentum translates from awareness into readiness and adoption.
More than a decade after the launch of the UK’s National Quantum Technologies Programme and following the announcement of over £1 billion for quantum technologies over the spending review period, the Office for Quantum is expected to announce further details about the next phase of the programme. This insight will be updated as more information becomes available.
