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    Completed Consortium

    DISCOVERY: Developing UK Industrial Supply for Commercial Quantum Computing

    An M Squared-led consortium that worked on the photonics needed to scale neutral-atom, trapped-ion and optical quantum computers.

    Project data last updated 11 October 2026

    About this project

    DISCOVERY ran from August 2020 to March 2024. It targeted two barriers to commercial quantum computing hardware: scaling up the number of qubits and improving their fidelity.

    The work covered three qubit approaches that rely on photonics: neutral atoms, ion microtraps and optical qubits. Industry partners worked alongside the universities of Glasgow, Strathclyde and Oxford and the National Physical Laboratory.

    Lead organisation

    M Squared Lasers

    Company · Glasgow

    Former Glasgow laser maker behind the SolsTiS platform and the Maxwell neutral-atom prototype; in administration since August 2025, assets sold to Novacene.

    Partners (8)

    Funders

    In the news

    Quantum Zeitgeist articles naming the lead organisation or partners. They may not be about this project.

    • Researchers Map Routes to Encode Classical Data on Qubits

      Researchers Map Routes to Encode Classical Data on Qubits, read on Quantum Zeitgeist

      From bits to qubits, converting classical information now accounts for circuit size, depth and resource needs previously overlooked in theoretical designs. This comprehensive survey moves beyond abstract concepts to examine techniques applicable to real-world datasets like sparse matrices and Boolea

      Image © Quantum Zeitgeist

    • Gloved fingers holding a dark chip with a gridded core and gold wire bonds

      Five of six Q4Bio finalists chose IBM quantum hardware, read on Quantum Zeitgeist

      In the Q4Bio Challenge, research teams sought scalable quantum algorithms for healthcare, competing for $2 million in prize money, and five of the six finalists used IBM quantum hardware for their research. Q4Bio aims to accelerate development of quantum algorithms for healthcare that can run on qua

      Image © Quantum Zeitgeist

    • A complex circuit board glows with vibrant, multicolored light trails, representing digital connectivity and technological innovation.

      Quantum Zeitgeist weekly digest, 21 September 2026, read on Quantum Zeitgeist

      IBM’s $2 billion investment, split between direct funding and a new venture called Anderon, signals a decisive shift in the quantum computing landscape, from chasing qubit counts to securing a domestic supply chain for advanced wafer manufacturing. This move directly addresses a bottleneck seen in m

      Image © Quantum Zeitgeist

    All news for this project and its partners

    Sources

    1. Gateway to Research: DISCOVERY: Developing UK Industrial Supply for Commercial Quantum Computing (gtr.ukri.org)
    2. Quantum Communications Hub: £10 million project launched to overcome the technology barriers to commercial quantum computing (quantumcommshub.net)
    3. Quantum Zeitgeist: M Squared Leads UK's £10M Quantum Computing Project (quantumzeitgeist.com)