The UK government is investing £45 million in the country’s quantum sector as part of its plan to turn the UK into a “quantum-enabled economy” by 2033.

The Quantum Catalyst Fund will invest £15 million in several new technologies, including a brain scanner that can improve the diagnosis of disorders such as epilepsy and dementia and a smart navigation system for trains that uses quantum sensors to save costs and enhance safety.

The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Technology Missions Fund and the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) is also spending £30 million to develop quantum computing prototypes to provide engineers with a controlled environment within which to experiment.

The government said quantum technologies have the potential to solve problems that currently surpass the capacities of advanced classical computers and will enable new methods of communication, timing and imaging.

Quantum technologies are one of the government’s five critical technologies as set out in the UK and Science Technology Framework. The government said it expects quantum technologies to enhance aspects of life in the UK as well as create jobs and contribute to the growth of the economy.

“As we steer towards an economy benefitting from quantum, this further £45 million in funding underscores our commitment to support bright UK innovators who are pushing boundaries and seizing the potential of this technology to transform our public services,” said science minister Andrew Griffith. “The UK is already one global leader in quantum and to maintain that position this government will continue to invest in this transformational technology propelling the UK into a new era of technological prowess and economic growth.”

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