The choices that will define the UK’s quantum future

Quantum technologies are shifting from frontier science to real-world applications.

Around the world, governments and industries are moving quickly to establish standards, secure supply chains, and define what role they will play in a global quantum market. As the International Year of Quantum draws to a close, the question for the UK is becoming hard to ignore: are we positioning ourselves to lead this next era, or are we starting to fall behind countries scaling and investing faster?

Quantum Week 2025 provided one of the clearest reflections of where the UK stands today, more than a decade after the National Quantum Technologies Programme began. Across the events including Quantum Exponential’s Investing in Our Quantum Future, a reception at Canada House, techUK’s Tech & Innovation Summit, and the National Quantum Technologies Showcase, a consistent set of themes emerged. They revealed both the strength of the UK’s foundations and the strategic choices we now need to make.

International Collaboration Has Become a Strategic Imperative

No country can deliver quantum alone. That felt especially relevant this year, as the International Year of Quantum continues to highlight just how globally interconnected this field has become. The UK’s growing partnerships with the US, Japan, Singapore, and Canada only underscore this reality. These relationships are practical, focused on access to talent, shared infrastructure, and market pathways. When viewed against tools like the QURECA map, showing quantum capabilities distributed across the globe, the message becomes even clearer: leadership in quantum will be defined by collaboration just as much as national capability.

This international dimension was a key feature of the week itself. The reception at Canada House and the delegations of companies from countries including South Korea, Denmark, and Australia made it clear that quantum ecosystems are being built across borders. The recent US-UK Technology Prosperity Deal signals positive momentum in building the capability necessary to move towards commercialisation and reinforces the fact that international collaboration is imperative to succeeding in quantum.

Near-Term Quantum Technologies Are Here

This week highlighted that several applications of quantum technologies are starting to emerge. Conversations throughout the week highlighted how quantum sensing is beginning to demonstrate tangible value across navigation, infrastructure, environmental monitoring, and defence. Innovate UK’s announcement of £14.8 million for the development of quantum sensors and quantum-enabled positioning, navigation, and timing technologies underscored just how soon we might see applications of quantum technologies. This is an area where the UK has real depth and an opportunity to define a global niche.

At the same time, there was honest recognition that investment in early quantum markets still feels risky for many funders, and that moving from research to deployment remains a challenge. The UK is strong at research and innovation, but less consistent when it comes to helping early-stage technology make the leap into commercially viable products. While announcements such as Quantum Exponential’s £100 million quantum fund are critical to this, we need cross-ecosystem collaboration figuring out how to scale the UK’s R&D strengths in the quantum era.

Turning research strength into commercial reality

A recurring point throughout Quantum Week was that excellence in research isn't enough on its own. If the UK wants quantum companies to grow and stay here, the focus needs to extend beyond prototypes and academic research. Over the next decade and beyond, the UK needs to focus on how it can turn academic research into commercially viable and world-leading products. That means supporting manufacturing capacity, strengthening supply chains, encouraging early adopters, and creating an environment where private investment feels confident in backing long-term development. The EU’s quantum pilot lines also demonstrate how coordinated infrastructure investment can de-risk commercialisation and plan for the future of these technologies.

Again, this will require collaboration – both internationally and nationally. The Quantum Hubs and the National Quantum Computing Centre have become models for bringing together organisations that might traditionally compete, encouraging shared platforms for innovation and early commercialisation.

Looking Ahead

Quantum Week and, more broadly, the International Year of Quantum offered both a celebration of progress and a reminder of the choices ahead. The UK has world-class research, respected hubs, and international credibility. But the next era will be defined by building markets, enabling adoption, and forging partnerships that turn quantum from promise into economic value.

The question now is not whether quantum will transform industries, but whether the UK will shape that transformation or simply react to it. We have the ingredients to lead. What comes next depends on how we choose to use them.

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