New joint statement between UK and US to strengthen quantum collaboration

The United Kingdom and the United States of America have signed a new joint statement of intent to boost collaboration on quantum science and technologies – helping to realise the full potential of the technology and deepen ties between the 2 countries.

Signed today by the Science Minister George Freeman and the US Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Science Advisor to the President, Dr Eric Lander, the statement sets out shared priorities for continued cooperation between the 2 nations, including promoting joint research, building the global market and supply chain and training the next generation of scientists and engineers.

The agreement builds on the UK and USA’s long history of world-leading research partnerships, including in quantum information science and technology, and follows June’s announcement that the UK and USA will develop a new partnership on technology.

UK Science Minister George Freeman said:

Quantum technologies are set to revolutionise computing with huge opportunities across our economy and society: from everyday functions like medical diagnosis and drug discovery to cyber security and AI.

The UK and US have been at the forefront of advancing this cutting edge area of science and technology.

Today’s agreement is the latest chapter in the close partnership between our 2 countries in science and innovation, and I look forward to seeing the results for both nations in the years ahead.

US Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and Science Advisor to the President, Dr Eric Lander said:

Science transcends borders, and cooperation with partners accelerates the way we bring technologies to market. I am delighted we can deepen our relationship with the UK on quantum information science. By working together, we can broaden training opportunities, develop new applications for quantum technology, and think globally about how to maximize the benefits of these technologies for everyone.

The technologies that have transformed our lives – the building blocks of modern computers, the mobile phone, the laser, the MRI scanner – are all products of quantum science. This involves harnessing the unique ways that light and matter behave at tiny atomic or subatomic levels.

A new generation of quantum technologies exploit breakthroughs in the way that we are able to precisely manipulate and measure these special properties, to engineer quantum devices with dramatically enhanced functionality and performance.

Today’s agreement will also see the National Physical Laboratory and the National Institute of Standards and Technology explore ways to grow their long-standing partnership between quantum programmes through alignment of projects and the exchange of staff and students in key areas, including quantum metrology, computing, clocks and future technical standards.

This statement of intent also aims to facilitate new research partnerships, as well as grow ties between businesses in the UK and US. In the coming months, UK and US industry will meet to establish new connections and explore future opportunities to work together to grow the global quantum industry.

The UK and US have a well-established history of close cooperation on cutting-edge quantum science and technology. In January, the government announced support for 3 projects involving UK and US collaborators to apply quantum technologies to fundamental physics questions about the universe.

An enhanced partnership between UK Research & Innovation and the US National Science Foundation is further intended to help facilitate new research collaborations in quantum.

International partnerships are part of a wider £1 billion government and industry investment through the National Quantum Technologies Programme to commercialise quantum innovations and secure the UK’s status as a world-leader in quantum science and technologies.

The signing comes as Innovate UK also announces £50 million from their £170 million Commercialising Quantum Technologies challenge for 12 projects, including a quantum computing system that can model and predict the properties of drugs, leading to significantly faster and more efficient drug discovery.