QuEST: Quantum centre builds UK and international reputation

QuEST, the Centre for Quantum Engineering, Science and Technology at Imperial College London, took part in two UK and international quantum events.

This comes at a time of accelerating interest in quantum technologies and growing recognition of the role that they will play in the future UK and world economy. These events also follow the UK Government’s National Quantum Strategy, and recent quantum agreements with Australia and the Netherlands.

NQTP Showcase

The National Quantum Technologies Programme annual showcase took place at the Business Design Centre and welcomed over 1500 people with research, policy and business interests in quantum technologies.

QuEST joined the Showcase for the first time as an exhibitor, in partnership with the Imperial Policy Forum.  The stand featured Imperial researchers Dr Jess Wade, Dr Joe Cotter, Dr Irena Nevjestic, Dr Daan Arroo and Dr Wern Ng, alongside PhD researchers Alessia Cimbri, Michael Newns and Despina Achilleos.

The QuEST stand highlighted Imperial’s quantum research in position, navigation and timing, highlighting Dr Joe Cotter’s work on quantum navigation, and in HealthTech innovation, through the room-temperature ‘maser in a shoebox’ device that will improve future MRI scans and satellite communications.

Over the course of the day, the stand was visited by UK and European quantum businesses, international investors and UK policymakers, including representatives of the National Quantum Technologies Programme and UKRI. These contacts have established QuEST as a leading potential partner in a range of future quantum industry and research partnerships.

India Quantum Delegation 

QuEST and Imperial Policy Forum also recently hosted a two-day visit from a senior Indian delegation to discuss future collaboration opportunities in quantum science and technology.

Working in partnership with the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the College’s Centre for Quantum Engineering, Science and Technology (QuEST), the programme included a day of detailed discussions in South Kensington, followed by facility and site tours at White City Innovation District, and a visit to ORCA Computing.

Participating from Imperial were Professor Peter Haynes, Co-Director of QuEST and Vice-Provost for Education and Student Experience; Dr Jess Wade, Lecturer in Functional Materials; Professor Sandrine Heutz, Head of the Department of Materials; Professor Neil Alford, Professor of Materials and Research Area Lead for Atoms to Devices at the Royce Institute; Professor Myungshik Kim, QuEST Co-Director and Chair in Theoretical Quantum Information Sciences; Professor Chris Phillips, Professor of Experimental Solid State Physics; and Dr Niladri Banerjee, Senior Lecturer in Physics.

The delegation comprised senior academics and technology experts with leading roles in India’s new National Quantum Mission, and major investors and business leaders in quantum technologies, photonics and deep tech.

On the UK side, Imperial’s researchers were joined by government figures from the National Quantum Technologies Programme, UKRI and EPSRC, alongside representatives from UK universities with significant quantum interests and CEOs and senior officers from the UK quantum business community.

With focused discussions on industry and research co-operation as part of the programme, the event made a number of new connections and ideas for UK-India collaborations that will help to build opportunities in both countries.

The visit has also helped establish QuEST and Imperial College London as valuable partners for UK and international stakeholders seeking to build new quantum partnerships between economic sectors and across the world .  

Quantum at Imperial

Imperial College London’s Centre for Quantum Engineering Science and Technology (QuEST) was formally launched in July 2023.

QuEST brings together 75+ researchers and over one hundred PhD students all engaged in quantum research at Imperial.

QuEST’s research themes are:

• ‘Quantum internet’ (scalable quantum networks)
• Materials for quantum technologies
• Applications of quantum computing

To find out more about the Centre and its work, visit the QuEST website.

Imperial Policy Forum supports QuEST’s policy engagement activities. For further information on Imperial’s policy engagement in quantum, contact the.forum@imperial.ac.uk