British businesses developing quantum sensing technology are receiving a share of £50m in government-backed funding to advance projects covering railway maintenance, medical diagnostics, navigation and critical infrastructure.
The investment, announced on 13 October, will be delivered through UK Research and Innovation under its Sensing and Positioning, Navigation and Timing competition. It is intended to help companies progress early technical demonstrations towards products capable of operating in commercial and public-sector environments.
The supported projects include equipment designed to identify railway faults, portable medical scanning systems and technologies that could provide positioning or communications capabilities where conventional satellite navigation is unreliable.
Quantum sensing uses properties of atoms and other quantum systems to obtain highly precise measurements. Its applications differ from quantum computing, which focuses on new methods of processing information. Commercial sensing systems aim to measure physical properties or detect signals with capabilities that may exceed those of conventional equipment.
West Midlands-based MoniRail is among the companies receiving support. Its technology is being developed to identify the precise location of faults in railway tracks and signalling equipment, including locations where GPS signals are unavailable or unreliable.
Improved fault identification could help maintenance teams respond more effectively, although any reduction in delays would depend on the system’s reliability, integration with railway operations and the speed at which faults can be repaired. The project is receiving development funding rather than announcing a completed national deployment.
Siloton, which operates in Bristol and London, is developing a portable quantum-enabled eye scanner intended to make advanced diagnostic imaging more accessible outside specialist hospitals. Smaller equipment could broaden the locations in which examinations take place, subject to clinical validation and medical regulatory requirements.
Oxfordshire-based ColdQuanta UK is receiving support for a compact mobile radio system capable of locating signals accurately. Potential applications include defence operations, emergency response and monitoring around critical infrastructure, particularly where positioning and communications must remain reliable under difficult conditions.
Other recipients include QLM Technology, which is developing equipment to identify and measure greenhouse gas emissions, and Quantum Fabrix, whose work concerns precision timing for satellites used in navigation and communications.
Nottingham-based Cerca Magnetics is also involved, developing wearable brain-scanning technology intended for clinical use, including assessments undertaken before some epilepsy treatments. The different projects face distinct technical and commercial requirements, ranging from industrial equipment testing to the validation necessary for medical devices.
The £50m programme is accompanied by separate UKRI investment in capabilities needed to support a domestic quantum technology industry. An additional £20m will support companies developing components and systems for quantum communications networks, including specialist lasers and photonic chips.
Sheffield-based Aegiq is among the companies identified in that programme, which is intended to strengthen the supply of technologies required for future quantum networking systems. Building domestic expertise in these components could reduce dependence on overseas suppliers in selected areas, although the commercial effects will depend on manufacturing capacity and demand.
UKRI is also expanding its QuEST Apprentices Programme by £8m to develop the technicians needed to build, maintain and commercialise quantum equipment. The scheme aims to equip 150 engineering apprentices with relevant capabilities by 2030.
Technical skills and specialist manufacturing are important constraints in industries where laboratory research can advance more quickly than the production systems needed for commercial deployment. Companies developing new sensing equipment may require specialised components, testing facilities and trained staff before they can supply customers at scale.
The funding sits within the government’s broader quantum strategy, including previously announced ambitions supported by investment of up to £2bn in quantum sensing. The latest allocations are specific elements of that wider programme rather than an additional commitment of the same total.
For participating businesses, the awards provide resources to advance technologies with proposed applications in established markets. Their commercial contribution will depend on successful testing, procurement and integration into the environments where the systems are intended to operate.
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