The United Kingdom government has unveiled its expanded cooperation with Germany on quantum technology.
How Will the UK-Germany Partnership Support Quantum?
During German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s state visit in early December, the nations pledged to invest about $8 million on quantum research and development projects and $10.7 million to support the Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics in Glasgow, Scotland, the Department for Science, according to the U.K. government Friday.
Additionally, the U.K. National Physical Laboratory signed a memorandum of understanding with Germany’s Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, or PTB, to advance the establishment of shared quantum standards. Both the U.K. and Germany are members of NMI-Q, a global initiative led by National Metrology Institutes to accelerate the development and promote the adoption of quantum technologies.
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“Quantum technology will revolutionise fields such as cybersecurity, drug discovery, medical imaging, and much more. International collaboration is crucial to unlocking these benefits,” stated Lord Patrick Vallance, U.K. minister of science. “With its deep R&D expertise, top-tier skills and world-leading institutions, Germany is a natural partner to the UK in these efforts. This is work that will not only advance the bounds of knowledge, but will support stronger economies, better jobs and healthy secure societies, in both our countries.”
How Are the UK and Germany Collaborating on Tech?
The agreement builds on the U.K. and Germany’s previous efforts to collaborate on science and technology efforts, including in advancing artificial intelligence. In October, the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking selected the National Supercomputing Centre at the University of Edinburgh to host the U.K. AI Factory Antenna, or UKAIFA, which will be linked to the HammerHAI AI Factory in Germany. UKAIFA is expected to support the growing demand for AI across sectors.
In 2023, London and Berlin also signed an agreement to cooperate on renewable energy projects and exchange lessons learned on heat decarbonization and energy efficiency.