March 17, 2026 -- The next step in the UK’s plans for Quantum technology will help deliver personalised treatments, potential cures for diseases, safeguard our national security and deliver high-paid jobs – revolutionising the health and wealth of hardworking people across the UK and delivering on the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy.    

A pioneering programme worth up to £2 billion of government investment announced by the Technology Secretary and the Chancellor today (Tuesday 17 March), will ensure the UK stays at the forefront of Quantum innovation. The UK will  become the first country to benefit from revolutionary Quantum computers, sensors and networks, and support the emergence of the next generation of leading British companies who will help shape the curve of progress.    

Quantum is technology’s next great generational leap and will rival AI as the defining technology of the future. While a traditional computer solves problems using a one-by one approach, a Quantum system explores thousands of potential answers at once -slashing the time it takes to reach a solution. That will accelerate how we can drive growth, investment, and national renewal for future generations, delivering new, life-changing breakthroughs in the process.  

As of today, the UK is the first country in the world to commit to an advanced procurement to build large-scale quantum computers on our shores by the early 2030s. Joining R&D, manufacturing, software, hardware and procurement into a single programme, we will be world leaders in developing and deploying large-scale Quantum computers.

These systems will be built in Britain – creating British jobs, new opportunities for British businesses, and opening new routes of investment to flow into our economy from all over the world.  

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said:  

"I am determined this country grasps the benefits will Quantum computing will bring. It is only by keeping pace with technological progress that we can deliver the high-paid jobs, cutting-edge public services, and innovations which change lives."

"Today’s announcements are an investment in our future - unlocking better health, wealth, and more opportunities for communities across the country."

This government is ushering in a Quantum leap - making the choice today to back UK scientists, companies, and innovators so we can deliver a future that works for all."

This first of its kind procurement programme, ”ProQure:Scaling UK Quantum Computing” will launch next week, where companies will be invited to table proposals to partner with us to deliver state of the art prototypes for evaluation.  

Prototypes will then be assessed, with the most promising companies invited to deliver larger scale machines for use by scientists, researchers, the public sector, and businesses, as part of our national computing infrastructure - transforming the UK into a hotbed for the latest, cutting-edge Quantum technology.    

This will also accelerate growth of the UK’s already thriving Quantum industry-supporting homegrown firms as they scale-up and grow while building an environment which encourages private backers from around the world to pour money into the sector, capturing everything from hardware, processors and manufacturing through to sustained investment in UK supply chains.    

Estimates show Quantum could boost productivity by 7% in the next 2 decades, creating more than 100,000 jobs in the process. That would mean £212 billion worth of economic impact – the equivalent of adding the combined annual GDP of Wales and Northern Ireland.      

The technology is already being put to work across the country, with Q-BIOMED researchers at the University College London exploring wearable brain scanners to support people suffering from epilepsy.  

Laying the foundations which will give the UK a rich pool of Quantum talent, the government’s flagship TechFirst programme will launch new partnerships with companies in the sector – offering up to 100 fully funded internships. This will give people the tools they need to embark on future, high-paying careers in the field.    

The UK is already a global powerhouse in the technology, launching a first of its kind National Quantum Technologies programme in 2014 which has already been backed by more than £1 billion in public funding to support skills, research, and infrastructure. Our credentials as a global magnet for private investment are also thriving. Coinciding with today’s announcements, several global companies are announcing technical breakthroughs delivered in the UK, as well as new and recent investment commitments including:    

Infleqtion have delivered a 100qubit quantum computer at our National Quantum Computing Centre, marking a significant step forward in developing large-scale systems for operational capability

Vescent has selected the UK’s National Physical Laboratory for its next office outside the US, backing worldleading talent and expertise across UK institutions

IonQ have formed a major strategic research partnership with Cambridge University. This will create the IonQ Quantum Innovation Centre, hosting IonQ’s most advanced 256-qubit computer, accelerating research and discovery in the UK

The raft of measures set out today not only lay the foundations for new investment, jobs, and improved public services across the country, but cement the UK’s position as a global leader in the emerging technologies which will shape the future.

Notes to editors

In addition to the £1 billion for procuring large scale quantum computers, the investments announced today include:  

Over £1 billion over the next 4 years to support our leading companies and researchers to put Quantum into action by investing at scale in technology development, skills and facilities. Specifically:  

over £500 million dedicated to Quantum computing - helping companies scale and develop new uses for the technology in areas like pharmaceuticals, financial services, and energy

over £400 million to support breakthroughs in sensing and navigation and the skills and infrastructure needed to bring these technologies to market

dedicated funding of £125 million for Quantum networking and £205 million for Quantum sensing and navigation to ensure we are poised to accelerate innovations in medical diagnostics, greenhouse gas monitoring, and ultra-secure communications. This will transform our ability to diagnose and treat medical conditions like childhood epilepsy and potentially Alzheimer’s in the years to come – transforming outcomes for patients

an extra £13.8 million injected into the UK’s 5 National Quantum Research Hubs delivered by UK Research and Innovation, with researchers working in healthcare, clean energy, and national security projects among the first to get access to the most powerful technology in the world

fresh support for the Quantum Software Lab based in Edinburgh will accelerate the discovery of new applications for Quantum computers in sectors such as financial services, life sciences and advanced manufacturing

an additional £90 million to fund quantum infrastructure and meet the scaling needs of industry along with £20 million in skills and commercialisation programmes.