The University of Bristol will be involved in two projects announced as part of a £12m funding boost from Innovate UK to pioneer the quantum internet of the future.
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, announced the 10 winners of the Quantum Missions pilot competition this week. The projects, which span the fields of quantum computing and quantum networks, will support the UK’s ambition to have the world’s most advanced quantum network at scale by 2035.
The funding was announced by Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology at TechUK2025 on Monday 10 March. Among the 10 successful projects announced, two will feature University of Bristol research and five of the projects feature companies founded or co-founded by alumni of the university’s Quantum Technology Enterprise Centre (QTEC).
As quantum computers evolve, so must the technology that protects data from any kind of cyber attack, which is where Bristol’s world-leading expertise is proving vital.
Dr Siddarth Joshi, Lecturer in Optical Communications, will be part of a project titled ‘Packaging Advancements for Quantum Networks (PAQNet)’, being led by Alter technologies UK.
The PAQNet project aims to create a cost-effective and scalable quantum-PIC (Photonic Integrated Circuit) package to deliver the needs of current and future quantum networking requirements. This will be important for underpinning the improved security, cryptography and sensing capabilities of quantum networks.
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) networks provide the best achievable security of information in transit and are based on the laws of physics rather than the amount of computational power of an adversary. However, they remain too expensive for widespread deployment because the technology struggles with scalability – a challenge that PAQNet aims to address
The University of Bristol is a world leader in quantum networking and QKD, and an important test case for this project will be to bring Bristol’s advanced quantum network technology to this extremely scalable photonic chip platform.
Also at the University of Bristol, Dr Edmund Harbord, Senior Lecturer in Quantum Communications, will be heading the University’s contribution to Project QUDITS2, which is being led by Vector Photonics and has received £1m in funding through the Quantum Missions pilot competition.
Currently quantum information is shaped around the use of units called qubits – the quantum equivalent of the standard bit used in digital computers. However Project QUDITS2 is developing a platform showcasing the viability of using ‘qudits’ instead; these are units that can store and process information beyond 0s and 1s that could enable data to be stored more efficiently than qubits.
The team intend to demonstrate the scalability of their system by only using commercially available photonics technologies from the existing UK supply chain to showcase their new platform.
Meanwhile Bristol’s significant contribution to the future of quantum was highlighted by the fact five of the projects include companies that have been supported by the University of Bristol’s QTEC, including Vector Photonics, KETS, Wave Photonics, Nu Quantum and SEEQC UK. It was also announced that SEEQC UK will be developing a new quantum computer prototype at the National Quantum Computing Centre.
Roger McKinlay, Challenge Director, Quantum Technologies, Innovate UK said: “The UK is one of the top countries in the world for creating and attracting quantum companies. Innovative technologies such as the ones receiving funding in this pilot will help to secure the UK’s position as a global leader in this transformative field.”
