The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is set to fund two international residential quantum technology summer schools in the UK.

Around 120 places will be available for PhD-level students from the UK, US and Canada – with two separate programmes to be based at the universities of Birmingham and Bristol in July and August.

The EPSRC said the summer schools’ aim is to increase the talent available to the UK, strengthen bonds with like-minded nations, and secure a collaborative future for the commercial development of quantum technologies.

Based at the University of Birmingham, the International Summer School in Quantum Technologies is a partnership between the hubs and research institutions in Canada and will cover the full spectrum of quantum technologies.

The programme will include laboratory opportunities along with lectures from industry partners to the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme (NQTP) and ‘world-leading’ scientists.

Programme director professor Miles Padgett said: “On behalf of all four quantum technology hubs, we are excited to be organising the first international summer school for the next generation of both UK and Canadian researchers.”

The summer school based at the University of Bristol will focus on integrated quantum photonics.

Dr Jorge Barreto, quantum engineering centre for doctoral training director, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for the UK to showcase the potential of the quantum photonics platform, strengthen our existing links in North America, and reach out to a much more diverse scientific community.”

The news follows the recent launch of UKQuantum, an industry-led consortium founded to “be the voice of the UK quantum industry”.

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