Charlotte Deane
Executive Chair, EPSRC; UKRI Senior Responsible Owner for Quantum
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council · UK Research and Innovation
Photo: Lhaypa, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Active Hub
QuSIT: UK Quantum Technology Hub in Sensing, Imaging and Timing
A national research hub for quantum sensing, imaging and timing, led by the University of Birmingham.
Project data last updated 11 October 2026
About this project
QuSIT is one of five quantum technology research hubs funded from December 2024. Professor Michael Holynski of the University of Birmingham is principal investigator. Partners include eight other universities, the British Geological Survey and the National Physical Laboratory.
The hub joins up work from two earlier hubs: the UK Quantum Technology Hub in Sensors and Timing and the QuantIC imaging hub. It works on sensors, cameras and clocks for uses such as health, transport, infrastructure and defence. In 2026 it allocated £774,000 from its Accelerating Capability Fund to several projects.
Who leads it
-
Matthew Brookes
Non-Executive Chairman, Cerca Magnetics; Co-Investigator, QuSIT Hub
Cerca Magnetics · University of Nottingham
Miles Padgett
Science Co-Director, QuSIT Hub; Professor, University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow · QuSIT
Photo: Royal Society uploader, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Lead organisation
University of Birmingham
University · Birmingham
Birmingham leads QuSIT, the UK quantum sensing, imaging and timing hub, and made the first field find with a quantum gravity gradiometer.
Partners (20)
University of Glasgow
University · Glasgow
University of Bristol
University · Bristol
Durham University
University · Durham
Heriot-Watt University
University · Edinburgh
Imperial College London
University · London
University of Nottingham
University · Nottingham
University of Southampton
University · Southampton
University of Strathclyde
University · Glasgow
British Geological Survey
Research organisation · Keyworth
NPL
Research organisation · Teddington
AWE
National lab · Aldermaston
BAE Systems Quantum
Company · London
BT Group
Company · London
Cerca Magnetics
Company · Nottingham
Covesion
Company · Southampton
Delta g
Company · Birmingham
Infleqtion UK (ColdQuanta UK Ltd)
Company · Oxford
INEX Microtechnology
Company · Newcastle upon Tyne
QLM Technology
Company · Bristol
RSK
Company · Helsby
Funders
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Funder · Swindon
UK Research and Innovation
Funder · Swindon
In the news
Quantum Zeitgeist articles about QuSIT, then ones naming its lead or partners.
UK Funds Quantum Internet Hubs for Cybersecurity, read on Quantum Zeitgeist
The UK is investing £106 million in five Quantum Technology Hubs to develop innovative systems for critical infrastructure, autonomous vehicles, and improved indoor and underwater navigation. The hubs will harness quantum properties to provide unparalleled power and capacity for analysis at a molecu
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
Vlatko Vedral, The Oxford Physicist Who Put a Number on Entanglement, read on Quantum Zeitgeist
Vlatko Vedral is Professor of Quantum Information Science at the University of Oxford, a Serbian-born physicist who has spent three decades asking what entanglement is and what it can do. Entanglement is the link that lets two particles share one quantum state. As a PhD student in London he helped f
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
Researchers Simulate Molecules Using Ten Thousand Qubits, read on Quantum Zeitgeist
Achieving complete quantum simulations once required resources beyond current capabilities; now, calculations previously intractable are possible using approximately ten thousand physical qubits. This new compilation framework estimates end-to-end runtimes, from 102 milliseconds on photonic or super
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
Researchers Build Quantum Networks for Supervised Learning, read on Quantum Zeitgeist
Accuracy reached a perfect score of 1. 0 using a new quantum machine learning framework, contrasting sharply with its initial value of zero and exceeding the 0. 76 achieved by the standard version.
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
Sources
- Gateway to Research: EP/Z533166/1 (grant record, project partner list) (gtr.ukri.org)
- University of Birmingham: New Hub focussing on quantum sensing, imaging and timing to be launched as part of £160m investment (26 July 2024) (birmingham.ac.uk)
- University of Glasgow: University of Glasgow set to play key roles in new quantum hubs (July 2024) (gla.ac.uk)
- Quantum Zeitgeist: QuSIT to boost UK quantum sensing and imaging projects with £774k grant (8 September 2026) (quantumzeitgeist.com)
- Quantum Zeitgeist: UK Funds Quantum Tech Hubs With $220M (29 July 2024) (quantumzeitgeist.com)
Related projects
- Active Programme · 2014 onwards
UK National Quantum Technologies Programme
NQTP
The UK's national programme for quantum technologies, set up in 2014 as a partnership between government, academia and industry.
Led by UK Research and Innovation
Themes: Computing, Sensing, Imaging, Timing and navigation, Communications, Networks, Skills and training
- Completed Programme · 2025 to 2026
Contracts for Innovation: Quantum Sensors and PNT Missions Primer
Quantum Sensing Mission Primer
Innovate UK contracts for 14 projects building quantum sensors and position, navigation and timing products, run as phase 1 of the sensing missions.
Led by Innovate UK
Funding: £14m
Themes: Sensing, Timing and navigation, Imaging
- Completed Programme · 2023 to 2025
SBRI: Quantum Catalyst Fund
Quantum Catalyst Fund
A £15 million SBRI competition, funded by DSIT and Innovate UK, to help the public sector adopt quantum solutions.
Led by Innovate UK
Funding: £15m
Themes: Computing, Sensing, Imaging, Timing and navigation