Quantum research wins funding in the budget

Quantum technologies were again in the spotlight as chancellor Philip Hammond announced a cash boost in the 2018 budget.

In the budget, published on 29 October, Hammond announced £235 million of additional funding to the National Quantum Technology Programme. It brings overall funding for the second phase of the scheme, which is due to start in November 2019, to £315m. The programme was set up by the government to create new products and services from academic work on quantum technologies.

But a Treasury spokesperson clarified later that the only new money in this tranche was £35m for a national quantum computing centre.