The UK government announced the second phase of the National Quantum Technologies Programme (NQTP), building on the first phase that ran from 2014 to 2019 with over £385 million in investment across several government agencies. Phase 2 was announced in 2018, with operations beginning at the end of 2019 at a similar annual spend profile for a further five years.
Phase 1 had established four Quantum Technology Hubs involving 20 universities and 225 companies, focusing on sensing, imaging, communications, and computing. The second phase expanded the scope of the programme beyond these four areas, with a further substantial investment by the UK government and an industry commitment of £205 million, according to a NQTP programme overview.
By 2018, the UK’s total investment in the NQTP had grown to approximately £800 million over ten years. Phase 2 included refreshed research Hubs, the establishment of the National Quantum Computing Centre, and expanded industry-led collaborative projects through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.