The UK government has announced the opening of the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) in Harwell, UK.

The 4,000 sqm (43,056 sq ft) facility will house 12 quantum computers and will provide industry, academia, and other sectors with open access to quantum computing platforms.

Quantum
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More than 70 staff members will be based at the NQCC, with the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) also announcing that the center will provide the world’s first dedicated quantum apprenticeship program, in addition to 30 PhD studentships, summer placements, and crash courses for those in industry.

In a statement, DSIT outlined energy grid optimization, drug discovery, climate prediction, and advances in AI and quantum computing as areas of research that the center would support.

It forms part of the government’s ten-year program to build out the UK’s quantum ecosystem through support for the development of quantum hardware, software, and applications. Funding for the NQCC has been provided in part through an initial £93 million ($121m) UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) investment and has been jointly delivered by two research councils within UKRI – the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Science and Technology Facilities Council.

UKRI has also invested a further £50 million, including through the Technology Missions Fund.

“The National Quantum Computing Centre marks a vital step forward in the UK’s efforts to advance quantum technologies,” said Science Minister Lord Vallance. “By making its facilities available to users from across industry and academia, and with its focus on making quantum computers practically useable at scale, this Centre will help them solve some of the biggest challenges we face, whether it’s delivering advances in healthcare, enhancing energy efficiency, tackling climate change, or inventing new materials.”

In July 2024, quantum component manufacturer Infleqtion announced the planned installation of a neutral atom quantum computer at the NQCC, becoming the first company to deploy hardware at the center. Commenting on the deployment at the time, president of Infelqtion, Tim Ballance, said that primary lasers and optical, vacuum, and electronic subsystems – all equipment necessary to support the functionality of the quantum computer – have been included in this installation.

Quantum computing firm Rigetti has also previously said it will deliver a QPU to the NQCC. The company aims to develop and deploy a 24-qubit quantum computer based on the company’s Ankaa-class architecture, to the NQCC’s Harwell Campus.