The UK Government has pledged £20 million for the University of Edinburgh’s Quantum Software Lab, an investment which will further the development of critical quantum software and applications across sectors such as healthcare, energy, finance and cybersecurity.

The funding will support a major new four-year programme, Quantum Advantage TurboCHarger (QATCH), led by the Quantum Software Lab in collaboration with the National Quantum Computing Centre, and support the recruitment of key positions from early-career scientists to senior tenure-track researchers.  

The programme is part of a wider £2 billion package of government funding aimed at deploying quantum computers at scale by the early 2030s by developing the algorithms, software and verification tools needed to make them useful.

Through a full-stack feedback loop that links researchers, academic institutions and industry, Edinburgh University said QATCH could prove instrumental in conducting fundamental research in algorithms and software needed to make quantum computers reliable and deployable across real-world applications.

While quantum hardware is vital, the software that directs quantum systems and validates their results is equally crucial, with Edinburgh’s Quantum Software Lab among the world’s largest research groups focused on advancing this software layer.

It’s this software that will ultimately define quantum computing’s real-world impact on everyday technologies, and will be key to unlocking new possibilities in healthcare, manufacturing, greener energy systems, cybersecurity, finance and AI.

For example, the QSL will aim to develop quantum optimisation and machine-learning tools to improve forecasting of electricity demand and optimise power flows in energy networks, working with partners including the National Energy System Operator.

Recommended reading

• G7 Sets 2034 Quantum Security Deadline
• Quantum Budgets Surge as Firms Prepare for Disruption
• Harvard Cracks Quantum Computer That Can Run ‘Forever’

Cybersecurity will also be a key area of work for QSL, developing tools to assess and mitigate future quantum threats, including post-quantum cryptography and secure communication methods for critical digital infrastructure.

“To turn this unprecedented hardware investment into provable economic impact, our new QATCH programme will launch the UK’s first full-stack feedback loop, serving as the software engine that translates fundamental theory into verified applications,” said Professor Elham Kashefi, personal chair in quantum computing at Edinburgh Uni’s School of Informatics.

“Through daily co-creation between our researchers, hardware vendors, and industry end-users on national testbeds, we are ensuring that software doesn’t just run on these new quantum machines, it actively drives their design and utility forward.”