Research organisation · Harwell
The National Quantum Computing Centre is the UK's national lab for testing and using quantum computers, in a 4,000 square metre building on the Harwell Campus that officially opened in October 2024. A £30m testbed programme with Innovate UK put seven prototype machines on site, covering photonic (Aegiq, ORCA), neutral-atom (Infleqtion, QuEra), trapped-ion (Oxford Ionics), silicon spin (Quantum Motion) and superconducting (Rigetti) hardware. Through SparQ it funds companies to trial real problems, such as OQC and Citi's work on pricing derivatives. In May 2026 Infleqtion delivered the UK's first 100-qubit system there.
Founded in 2020, NQCC is a research organisation in Harwell. In this directory it leads NQCC Quantum Computing Testbed Programme, SparQ and NQCC and is a partner in 19 more. It funds 18 projects listed here, including ARTEMIS and Asteroidea. People profiled here include Anne-Claire Blet (Deputy Director for Programme Delivery), Elham Kashefi (Chief Scientist) and Jonathan Burnett (Deputy Director for Research).
Sources: New national quantum laboratory to open up access to quantum computing (GOV.UK) · Quantum computing testbeds (NQCC) · Quantum Physics Informed Neural Networks for Derivative Pricing (NQCC) · Infleqtion delivers UK's first 100-qubit quantum computer (Quantum Zeitgeist)
A £30m programme that paid seven companies to build prototype quantum computers, known as testbeds, at the NQCC in Harwell.
Role: Lead, Funder
Funding: £30m
Themes: Computing
SparQ
The NQCC's programme for helping UK companies and researchers find uses for quantum computers and get access to them.
Role: Lead, Funder
Themes: Computing, Software and algorithms, Skills and training
NQCC
The UK's national laboratory for quantum computing, based at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory on the Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire.
Role: Lead
Funding: £93m
Themes: Computing, Software and algorithms, Skills and training
QATCH
A four-year programme on quantum software, algorithms and verification, led by the University of Edinburgh's Quantum Software Lab with the NQCC.
Role: Partner
Funding: £20m
Themes: Computing, Software and algorithms
ARTEMIS
A photonic quantum computing testbed built for the National Quantum Computing Centre under its 2024 testbed programme.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing
Asteroidea
A photonic quantum computing testbed built for the National Quantum Computing Centre under its 2024 testbed programme.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing
A doctoral training centre run by the universities of Sussex and Bristol to train PhD researchers in quantum technology.
Role: Partner
Funding: £24m
Themes: Skills and training, Computing
A superconducting quantum computing testbed built for the National Quantum Computing Centre under its 2024 testbed programme.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing
QuBIC
An incubation programme at Harwell, run by STFC with the NQCC, that gives quantum start-ups small grants and business support.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing, Skills and training
QUARTET
A trapped-ion quantum computing testbed built for the National Quantum Computing Centre under its 2024 testbed programme.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing
A silicon spin qubit quantum computing testbed built for the National Quantum Computing Centre under its 2024 testbed programme.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing
SQALE
A neutral-atom quantum computing testbed built for the National Quantum Computing Centre under its 2024 testbed programme.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing
A neutral-atom quantum computing testbed built for the National Quantum Computing Centre under its 2024 testbed programme.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing
ADOPT-TEM
A proof of concept that applied Algorithmiq error mitigation to a Rigetti fraud detection method on NQCC hardware.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing, Software and algorithms
Q-CTRL and Johnson Matthey used quantum optimisation to study metal-free catalysts for hydrogen fuel cells.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing, Materials and components
QTA-Foil
Aegiq and BAE Systems estimated the quantum resources needed to speed up aerodynamic and hydrodynamic design.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing, Software and algorithms
Quantum Missions pilot
An Innovate UK competition that funded industry projects in quantum computing and quantum networks towards the UK quantum missions.
Role: Partner
Themes: Computing, Networks
QPINN
OQC and Citi tested whether quantum-compressed neural networks can price financial derivatives.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing, Software and algorithms
A 4colors-led proof of concept that tested hybrid classical and quantum algorithms for loading cargo on aircraft.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing, Software and algorithms
Applied Quantum Computing built a prototype hybrid quantum-classical model to predict risks for intensive care patients.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing, Software and algorithms, Biomedical and health
Frazer-Nash, ORCA Computing and The Crown Estate looked at whether quantum optimisation can help renewable energy planning.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing, Software and algorithms
QuantiCo
A consortium of Capgemini UK, Airbus, King's College London and the NQCC that used quantum chemistry methods to predict corrosion of aluminium alloys.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing, Materials and components
ARTEMIS
A photonic quantum computing testbed built for the National Quantum Computing Centre under its 2024 testbed programme.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing
Asteroidea
A photonic quantum computing testbed built for the National Quantum Computing Centre under its 2024 testbed programme.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing
A superconducting quantum computing testbed built for the National Quantum Computing Centre under its 2024 testbed programme.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing
A £30m programme that paid seven companies to build prototype quantum computers, known as testbeds, at the NQCC in Harwell.
Role: Lead, Funder
Funding: £30m
Themes: Computing
QuBIC
An incubation programme at Harwell, run by STFC with the NQCC, that gives quantum start-ups small grants and business support.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing, Skills and training
QUARTET
A trapped-ion quantum computing testbed built for the National Quantum Computing Centre under its 2024 testbed programme.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing
A silicon spin qubit quantum computing testbed built for the National Quantum Computing Centre under its 2024 testbed programme.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing
SQALE
A neutral-atom quantum computing testbed built for the National Quantum Computing Centre under its 2024 testbed programme.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing
A neutral-atom quantum computing testbed built for the National Quantum Computing Centre under its 2024 testbed programme.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing
SparQ
The NQCC's programme for helping UK companies and researchers find uses for quantum computers and get access to them.
Role: Lead, Funder
Themes: Computing, Software and algorithms, Skills and training
ADOPT-TEM
A proof of concept that applied Algorithmiq error mitigation to a Rigetti fraud detection method on NQCC hardware.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing, Software and algorithms
Q-CTRL and Johnson Matthey used quantum optimisation to study metal-free catalysts for hydrogen fuel cells.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing, Materials and components
QTA-Foil
Aegiq and BAE Systems estimated the quantum resources needed to speed up aerodynamic and hydrodynamic design.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing, Software and algorithms
QPINN
OQC and Citi tested whether quantum-compressed neural networks can price financial derivatives.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing, Software and algorithms
A 4colors-led proof of concept that tested hybrid classical and quantum algorithms for loading cargo on aircraft.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing, Software and algorithms
Applied Quantum Computing built a prototype hybrid quantum-classical model to predict risks for intensive care patients.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing, Software and algorithms, Biomedical and health
Frazer-Nash, ORCA Computing and The Crown Estate looked at whether quantum optimisation can help renewable energy planning.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing, Software and algorithms
QuantiCo
A consortium of Capgemini UK, Airbus, King's College London and the NQCC that used quantum chemistry methods to predict corrosion of aluminium alloys.
Role: Partner, Funder
Themes: Computing, Materials and components
Recent articles from Quantum Zeitgeist that mention NQCC.
The Quantum Software Lab (QSL) at the University of Edinburgh has become a globally recognized hub for creating software solutions, and with its strategic partnership with the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC), now has more than 70 researchers. In three years, the QSL is poised to lead a
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
The NQCC and University of Bristol offer two intensive, six-week online programs in quantum information and computation, ideal for STEM professionals.
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
The NQCC-Bristol is supporting the UK quantum start-up ecosystem, offering bursaries for intensive, six-week online courses in quantum information and computation.
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
The NQCC has six doctoral studentships available for UK universities, funded by a £6 million EPSRC Industrial Doctoral Landscape Awards program.
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
Research, commercial and investment relationships, by year. Partners with a profile here are linked.
Digital Catapult Research 2026
IBM Quantum Commercial 2026
Nu Quantum Research 2026
Recorded on Nu Quantum's profile.
Quantum Software Lab Strategic 2026
Recorded on Quantum Software Lab's profile.
Quantum Software Lab Research 2026
Recorded on Quantum Software Lab's profile.
Quantum Motion Commercial 2025
Recorded on Quantum Motion's profile.
GSK Research 2023
Recorded on GSK's profile.
Google Quantum AI Research 2022
NPL Research 2022
Recorded on NPL's profile.
Quantum Security Defence Strategic 2022
Recorded on Quantum Security Defence's profile.
Chosen by shared specialisms, then location and type.
Research organisation · Porton Down · 1 shared specialism
Research organisation · 1 shared specialism
Research organisation · Teddington · 1 shared specialism
Research organisation · London · 1 shared specialism
Company data from Entangled Future. News from Quantum Zeitgeist. Last checked 2 October 2026.
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