The UK’s first quantum computer will be made commercially available to businesses, the government has announced.

The machine, which will be accessed by businesses via the cloud, will be based in Abingdon, as the UK vies to become the world’s first quantum-ready economy.

Developed by tech company Rigetti Computing, it will be built alongside a cloud-based platform allowing computer programmers to write quantum algorithms.

The Rigetti team will work with Oxford Instruments, Standard Chartered and Bristol and London-based quantum software startup Phasecraft, as well as the University of Edinburgh.

Speaking at the Quantum summit, science minister Amanda Solloway announced £10 million funding for the quantum computing project and also launched the new National Quantum Computer Centre, based at the Harwell campus in Oxfordshire.

The government first announced it would establish the National Quantum Computing Centre in 2018 and has committed to invest £93 million in the venture.

Quantum computing offers the chance for businesses to find better or quicker ways to solve problems, many of which are not possible using standard computers.

Quantum science involves harnessing the unique ways that light and matter behave at tiny atomic or subatomic levels. This science has already transformed people’s lives by developing the building blocks of modern computers, the mobile phone, and the MRI scanner.

Industries including pharmaceuticals, aerospace and transport that substantially contribute to the UK economy are set to benefit most from quantum technology.

The technology could help them to accelerate the discovery of new drug treatments, improve the efficiency of global supply chains - including across food, automotive and aerospace sectors - and cut road traffic in towns and cities, shortening people’s commuting times, while reducing pollution levels.

By 2024, quantum computing is expected to provide £4 billion of economic opportunities globally, while in the coming decades productivity gains resulting from quantum computing are expected to surpass over £341 billion globally – resulting in new jobs, skills and knowledge across the UK.

Solloway said: “Our ambition is to be the world’s first quantum-ready economy, which could provide UK businesses and industries with billions of pounds worth of opportunities.

“This a key part of our plan to build back better using the latest technology, attract the brightest and best talent to the UK and encourage world-leading companies to invest here.”

UK Research and Innovation chief executive Ottoline Leyser said: “Quantum computers are extraordinary new tools with the potential to allow us to tackle previously insurmountable challenges, promising benefits for all of society through applications in areas such as drug discovery and traffic optimisation.

“The National Quantum Computing Centre will tackle the key bottlenecks in quantum computing by bringing together experts from across the UK’s outstanding research and innovation system from academia and industry to unlock the potential of this exciting new technology.”

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