LONDON, June 16 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:

* £10m network launched toshapethe rules of the road for quantum - backingtheUK's globalleadership. * New National Quantum Standards Network will help turnBritishresearch into secure, reliable products people can trust and businesses can sell worldwide. * Coordinatedstandardsto accelerate breakthroughs in healthcare,transportand finance - unlocking jobs,investmentand growth.

A newnationalnetworktocoordinatestandardsforthequantum technologies that will revolutionise everything from medicine to bankingandtransportwill strengthen the ability of British companies togrow at home and sell around the world.

Announced by Science Minister Lord Vallance today, theNational Physical Laboratory (NPL) willestablishthe National Quantum Standards Network(QSN)to bring together common standardsforgame-changing Quantum technology.

Supported by £10 million from DSIT,it willbring together government, industry, and academia toengage withUKcompanies- ensuring their products are developed to internationally recognised standards.

The QSNwill oversee everything from thelinewidthsof theultra-narrow lasersneeded to control qubits inside a quantum computer, to the size, weight and energy-efficiency requirements that will ensure one quantum sensor's reading can be trusted against another's.

Itwillbringtogethergovernment, industry,academiaand standards bodies,includingthe BritishStandardsInstitutionandUKRI'sNational Quantum Computing Centre.

Standards already underpin services we rely on,likeusing our mobile phones abroadandsending data securely.Doing the same with Quantum will help speed up adoption of thetechnology, andcouldhelp witheveryday tasks like supportingsensitive transactionsfor banks all over the world.

Science Minister Lord Vallance said:

Quantum could bring benefits to our society as significant as what we are seeing with AI, with the potential to deliver new medicines, better public services, and protect our finances.

The UK's quantum sector is already a global leader. With the National Quantum Standards Network we will accelerate its growth, meaning more Britishjobs and investment into our economy  fromall over the world.

Askey decisions aretaken in internationalquantumstandards-setting bodies over the coming years,the UKwillnowlead the wayglobally with its own dedicatednetwork.The QSNwillgive Britishcompanies a voice in standardsover the long term in a sector which has the potential to add £212 billion to the UK economy and add 100,000 jobs.

The government's £2 billion investment into quantum announced earlier this year - building onexistingstrengthsofleading companies and world-class talent - is already keeping the UK at the forefront of quantum innovation. This includes £1.2 billion towards the procurement of large-scale quantum computers, so companies can have confidence bringingtechnologies from the lab to market.

Dr Peter Thompson, CBE, CEO at NPL said: 

We are delighted to be leading the establishment of the Quantum Standards Network which marks a major step in ensuring the UK can lead the global conversation on quantum. Standards are the backbone of responsible, scalable innovation.

By coordinatingexpertise across the UK quantum ecosystem, the network will accelerate technology adoption, boost UK competitiveness and support the safe and ethical development of quantum technologies." 

The UK is a big quantum player. In a recent vote of confidence,Vescent- a leading manufacturer of quantum tech - recently chose NPL as the location for its first office outside the US.

By positioning itself at the heart of common standards for quantum,the UK will secure competitive advantage, attract investment, and ensure British innovation underpins the technologies of the future.

Notes to editors

* Hosted by NPL, the Quantum Standards Network unites key strategic partners including DSIT, BSI, UKRI National Quantum Computing Centre, National Cyber Security Centre, andUKQuantum. Together, they will coordinate the UK's engagement in emerging international standards activity and foster collaboration with leading technical agenciesinternationally.

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.