The Integrated Quantum Networks (IQN) Hub Convenes United Kingdom – United States Quantum Networking Summit
IQN Hub recently convened a special one-day UK – US Quantum Networking Summit in Bristol, bringing together thought-leaders from both nations to focus on exploring priority areas for deeper collaboration in quantum communications and networking.
The event was organised with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s Science and Technology Network (STN) team and the Department for Business and Trade. Participants represented key academic institutions and industry sectors in the quantum landscape, including representatives from leading US companies such as The Boeing Company, IonQ, QuEra and Qunnect alongside the Argonne National Laboratory, Caltech/NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); Northwestern University (a key delivery partner of the Chicago Quantum Exchange project), University of California Santa Barbara and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
IQN Hub academic partners such as the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge, Oxford, Sheffield, York, King’s College London, the National Physical Laboratory and STFC RAL Space were strongly represented, alongside key industry partners: the BT Group, IBM, ORCA Computing and Toshiba Europe. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Innovate UK, the Office for Quantum – a special branch of the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology – and the National Quantum Technologies Programme were also in attendance.
The summit followed a successful UK delegation to Chicago and New York in 2023 and highlighted the strides both research ecosystems have made on developing quantum networks since. Participants were updated on the UK’s quantum strategy and the recently announced £2bn UK Government investment into quantum technologies, plus an overview of some of the key capabilities and testbed infrastructure available in both the UK and US.
The programme started with an overview of the UK perspective on quantum networking from Hub Director, Professor Gerald Buller and included a series of roundtable discussions on shared research priorities. A panel discussion provided an industry perspective from both sides of the Atlantic on the opportunities and challenges facing the wider deployment of future quantum networks. Topics discussed included advancing partnerships in satellite-based quantum networks, coordination on international quantum networks testbeds, and alignment on benchmarking and standards. The importance of barriers and risks in international collaboration was acknowledged, as was the critical role for skills initiatives in the future of the quantum talent pipeline.
Key contributors to the event included Heriot-Watt University colleagues Professor Alessandro Fedrizzi (Hub Assistant Director), Dr Jamie Cameron (Business Development Manager) and Dr Georgia Mortzou (Hub Manager).
As a key output, the summit led to discussions on how to establish concrete proposals for deeper near-term UK – US collaboration in quantum communications and quantum networks, with an emphasis on actionable outcomes and follow-up activity.
