EPSRC Hub in Quantum Computing and Simulation

The EPSRC Quantum Computing and Simulation Hub will enable the UK to be internationally leading in Quantum Computing and Simulation. It will drive progress toward practical quantum computers and usher in the era where they will have revolutionary impact on real-world challenges in a range of multidisciplinary themes including discovery of novel drugs and new materials, through to quantum-enhanced machine learning, information security and even carbon reduction through optimised resource usage.
The Hub will bring together leading quantum research teams across 17 universities, into a collaboration with more than 25 national and international commercial, governmental and academic entities. It will address critical research challenges, and work with partners to accelerate the development of quantum computing in the UK. It will foster a generation of UK-based scientists and engineers equipped with the new skill sets needed to make the UK into a global centre for innovation as the quantum sector emerges. The Hub will engage with government and citizens so that there is a wide appreciation of the potential of this transformative technology, and a broad understanding of the issues in its adoption.
Hub research will focus on the hardware and software that will be needed for future quantum computers and simulators. In hardware we will advance a range of different platforms, encompassing simulation, near term quantum computers, and longer term fully scalable machines. In software the Hub will develop fundamental techniques, algorithms, new applications and means to verify the correct operation of any future machine. Hardware and software research will be closely integrated in order to provide a full-stack capability for future machines, enabled by the broad expertise of our partners. We will also study the architecture of these machines, and develop emulation techniques to accelerate their development.
Success will require close engagement with a wide range of commercial and government organisations. Our initial partners include finance (OSI), suppliers (Gooch & Housego, Oxford Instruments, E6), integrators and developers (OQC, QM, CQC, QxBranch, D-Wave), users from industry (Rolls-Royce, Johnson Matthey, GSK, BT, BP, TrakM8, Airbus, QinetiQ) and government (DSTL, NCSC), and other research institutions (NPL, ATI, Heilbronn, Fraunhofer). We will build on this strong network using Industry Days, Hackathons and targeted workshops, authoritative reports, and collaborative projects funded through the Hub and partners. Communications and engagement with the community through a range of outreach events across the partnership will inform wider society of the potential for quantum computing, and we will interact with policy makers within government to ensure that the potential benefits to the UK can be realised.
The Hub will train researchers and PhD students in a wide range of skills, including entrepreneurship, intellectual property and commercialisation. This will help deliver the skilled workforce that will be required for the emerging quantum economy. We will work with our partners to deliver specific training for industry, targeting technical, commercial and executive audiences, to ensure the results of the Hub and their commercial and scientific opportunities are understood.
The Hub will deliver demonstrations, new algorithms and techniques, spinout technologies, and contribute to a skilled workforce. It will also engage with potential users, the forthcoming National Centre for Quantum Computing, the global QC community, policy makers and the wider public to ensure the UK is a leader in this transformative new capability.

Quantum computing has the potential to transform many areas of our lives in the coming decades. The Hub will deliver technologies, training and user communities, to allow the UK to be at the forefront of this revolution.
Society will benefit from the transformative nature of quantum computing. The UK has a population that largely lives in urban areas and cities, and future smart cities will measure and monitor the environment, transport and resource use in order to provide efficient services. Quantum computing has the potential to enable better decisions based on this information, enhancing the quality of life for citizens. In healthcare, personalised medicine, leading to better more efficient healthcare will benefit from the decision making that quantum computing might enable, with the potential for a healthier nation. Efficient energy and resource use is a key issue for society, and the new computing techniques enabled will improve energy efficiency through improved design of aircraft, more efficient chemical reactions, and new types of materials. Transport systems and parcel delivery and logistics are sectors where quantum computing will allow more efficient timely delivery and better coordination.
The economy will benefit by the trained workforce the Hub will create, the spinout companies and technologies, and the inward investment that the UK quantum computing ecosystem will bring. The UK has a strong IT sector, and early access to quantum computing will allow it to maintain its competitive position. New businesses based on quantum computing and simulation will also form, with the potential for a new manufacturing and service sector for the nation. Established businesses and users of quantum computing will benefit from improved product design, access to new materials and better decision making. This will lead to a more productive nation.