The UK’s new Harwell Quantum Cluster has officially launched at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, marking a pivotal step in the nation’s ambition to lead the global quantum revolution.
Building on initial work over the past year the cluster will now further accelerate quantum innovation, scale emerging technologies, and aim to create over 1,000 high-value jobs and bring £1 billion in investment into the UK over the next decade.
The initiative is led by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, in partnership with the Harwell Joint Venture (Brookfield Asset Management and The UK Atomic Energy Authority), the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and the Department for Business and Trade.
At the launch, the UK’s new Quantum Cluster at Harwell Campus signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Quantum Exponential Group plc (QEG), the UK’s first listed investment company dedicated to quantum technology.
This partnership will accelerate the commercialisation and scale-up of UK quantum innovation, helping early-stage companies access funding, mentorship, and global markets.
Speaking about the Harwell Quantum Cluster the Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said:
“From helping doctors discover new medicines faster to batteries that last longer and charge quicker, quantum technology can keep us safer and healthier and change our everyday lives in really practical ways.
“We have a once-in-a-generation chance to lead the world in quantum technology. This cluster at Harwell shows we’re serious about grabbing that opportunity and turning it into real prosperity – over 1,000 skilled jobs, £1 billion in private investment, and making sure the benefits are felt right across Britain.”
Transforming vital UK sectors
Building on Harwell’s proven cluster model and the work of the quantum companies already on site that have successfully attracted over £250 million of private investment, the Quantum Cluster will serve as the nation’s cornerstone for quantum collaboration and growth.
It will bring together government, academia, and industry to exploit the fundamental properties of nature such as superposition, entanglement, and coherence to perform tasks impossible with today’s classical systems.
Quantum technologies are expected to transform sectors such as:
- Healthcare – enabling quantum-enhanced imaging and molecular simulation for faster drug discovery
- Energy and climate – optimising energy grids, materials, and batteries for a sustainable future
- National security – securing global communications through quantum encryption and sensing
- Finance and logistics – solving complex optimisation problems to enhance efficiency and resilience
The National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC), part of UK Research and Innovation, will serve as the cluster’s anchor facility, enabling collaborative research & development, ethical quantum development, and early access to quantum testbeds and computing platforms.
Connecting the ecosystem for the quantum era
Over the next 10 years, the cluster aims to:
- Grow over 100 quantum-focused companies
- Create more than 1,000 skilled jobs
- Attract over £1 billion in public and private investment
The initiative directly aligns with the UK’s Industrial Strategy, ensuring the country maintains its competitive edge in a fast-evolving global technology landscape.
A national asset with global reach
As a strategic national asset in the Oxford-Cambridge innovation corridor, Harwell Campus hosts over 250 organisations and 7,500 professionals. Home to the UK’s largest concentration of national research facilities, it has cemented itself as the nation’s leading science and innovation destination.
As a multi-sector science and innovation campus, the Quantum Cluster builds on the campus’ successful cluster model, creating a frictionless, connected ecosystem where quantum innovators can access shared infrastructure, testbeds, and end-user partnerships, all within one campus.
The cluster will act as the UK’s international gateway for collaboration and investment, building partnerships with major global clusters in Europe, Canada, the United States, and Japan.
Most recently, on November 6, 2025, the UK’s new quantum cluster signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Japan’s National Institute of Advanced industrial Science and Technology (AIST), through its Global Research and Development Centre for Business by Quantum-AI Technology (G-QuAT).
Dr Barbara Ghinelli, Director, Innovation Clusters and Harwell Campus at STFC, says: “What we build here at Harwell is bigger than technology. It’s skilled jobs for the next generation and new companies born and scaled in the UK. It is sovereign capability and economic resilience. This is a global invitation to partner with the Harwell Quantum Cluster on the technologies that will transform the world. Quantum will change every sector it touches, and Harwell is where that change becomes real.”
Dr Michael Cuthbert, Director at the NQCC, commented: “The Harwell Quantum Cluster launch underscores the UK Government’s ambition to ensure the nation is a science and technology leader, advancing its goals in business growth, talent development, international collaboration, and quantum readiness.
“At the NQCC, we are committed to enabling the UK to become quantum ready – developing the infrastructure, skills, and collaborations needed to support the next generation of technologies that will transform how we compute and solve some of society’s most complex challenges.
“This new cluster strengthens national capability and sends a clear signal to global investors that the UK is the place to develop and scale quantum technologies. It will help ensure that quantum innovation delivers benefits not just for science and industry, but for the economy and society as a whole.”
Jim Stretton, Managing Director at Harwell Campus, added: “The launch of the Quantum Cluster demonstrates how collaboration, proximity, and shared purpose can accelerate innovation and turn cutting-edge research into commercial success. By fostering a connected community where industry, academia, and government work side by side, Harwell is helping to position the UK at the forefront of quantum discovery and growth.”
Dr Najwa Sidqi, Quantum Cluster Manager at Harwell Campus, added: “This launch marks a defining moment for the UK’s quantum proposition globally. The Harwell Quantum Cluster will accelerate collaboration across government, industry, and academia, turning research excellence into industrial strength. Together, we are building the foundations of a globally competitive quantum economy that creates high-value jobs, attracts investment, and delivers impact far beyond science and research.”