The UK Government has confirmed funding of £8.9 million for the University of Edinburgh to help put quantum tech to use in fighting crime, tackling fraud and preventing money laundering.
The Quantum Software Laboratory which is based at the university along with two Scottish research hubs will share in a £121 million funding round announced today – on World Quantum Day.
The funding is intended to help Edinburgh increase the use of the technology which uses small particles to build ultra-powerful computers and faster communications.
The software to be delivered by the Edinburgh Lab will power the UK’s flagship National Quantum Computing Centre’s testbed programme, helping researchers harness quantum’s potential for use in a range of sectors, from crimefighting to healthcare.
UK Government Secretary of State for Science and Technology, Peter Kyle said: “The quantum sector in Scotland has vast potential to unlock millions for our economy, create thousands of jobs and improve businesses across the country – making our energy grid more efficient, speeding up diagnosis of illnesses, tackling fraud.
“Many more applications are out there, and we need to back our world-class researchers who are finding them, so we can harness the full benefits of this technology for our Plan for Change.”
The Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray, said: “This investment underscores the UK Government’s commitment to ensuring Scottish research institutions remain at the cutting edge of innovation and quantum technology.
“By supporting the University of Edinburgh’s Quantum Software Laboratory and the research hubs at Heriot-Watt and Glasgow University, we’re not only creating skilled jobs across Scotland but positioning the UK as a global leader in quantum innovation. This funding delivers on our promise to drive economic growth in every part of the country through our Plan for Change, turning Scotland’s scientific expertise into practical solutions for healthcare, security, and industry.”
The Integrated Quantum Networks Hub at Heriot-Watt University and the Hub for Quantum Enabled Position, Navigation and Timing at Glasgow University will also receive further backing for skills and training activities alongside the other three quantum hubs in the UK, building on the funding announced for them in July.
Today’s announcement includes a roundup of earlier investments from EPSRC and Innovate UK, including support for the five research hubs and the Quantum Missions Pilot competition, bringing the total commitment from the UK Government over the next 12 months to £121 million.
Scottish Government and the Super Computer
The First Minister was asked at a press conference on Monday about the Supercomputer which had been planned for Edinburgh – and which Keir Starmer’s government has cancelled.
The UK Government say that although the project was announced by the previous Conservative administration there is no money to back it.
The First Minister however called upon the UK Government to reinstate the project. He said: “If a supercomputer is to be built in the London, Oxford, Cambridge triangle, then the canceled supercomputer for Edinburgh should be restored.” Mr Swinney said that he had called a meeting of key partners in business and trade unions on Wednesday of this week. He wants to map out actions to be taken in Scotland and which can be complemented across the UK. He said: “I want to shape the response at a UK level. I will therefore also be seeking further formal intergovernmental meetings to ensure that the needs of devolved nations are at the heart of UK decision making and not simply an afterthought as the evidence increasingly suggests.”
The Exascale computer was announced as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland Regional Deal in 2023.
Exascale was to be housed in a new £31 million wing of EPCC’s Advanced Computing Facility, which has been purpose-built as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal.
EPCC was set up in 1990 as part of the university and provides supercomputing to industry and academia.
The new Exascale supercomputer was to be 50 times faster than any other computer in the country and would perform one billion billion calculations each second to provide high-performance computing capability for key research and industry projects across the UK.
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