“Quantum pioneers” show their innovative solutions at technology showcase

Delivered by KTN in partnership with Innovate UK, the exhibition featured 70 of the UK’s most innovative exhibitors from across the Quantum technology sectors. Bob Cockshott, Quantum Lead at KTN said: “This showcase is about demonstrating the progress that’s been made in the National Quantum Technologies Programme, which started in 2014 and has seen a £1bn of public investment. We’re now at the stage where we’ve got real hardware, real kit, which is approaching practical implementation and providing societal benefits. It’s an exciting time to see all that investment starting to pay off.”

Exhibitors included Cerca, a company which has developed a magnetoencephalography (MEG) functional brain scanner which, using very small quantum sensors, can detect magnetic fields emitted in the brain, and the technology is significantly advancing research in epilepsy in young children.

TMD is a technology company, traditionally a manufacturer of vacuum electron devices but in recent years has moved into quantum technologies. Their product is g-MOT, a portable Magneto-optical trap for compact cold atom systems. Designed to be used in university laboratories, the device has applications for quantum sensing and RF sensing across science, defence and communications sectors.

Also at the showcase were Element Six, a company specialising in providing synthetic diamond for industrial use. “Diamonds are a very interesting material for quantum”, says research scientist Dr Matthew Markham. “You can control the properties of defects in diamonds by shining green laser light onto a pink diamond, which enables sensing of magnetic fields, quantum computing and quantum communications.”

Kimberley Brook, Programme Manager at QTEC, said, “It’s fantastic to see people in person after such a long time. To see some of the businesses we’ve helped to create demonstrating their devices has been very exciting!”

Wenmiao Yu, Co-founder and Director of Business Development at Quantum Dice Limited, said, “I’ve had a great show. It’s very good that they’ve got the whole industry in one room. We were founded one month into lockdown, so to meet with partners in-person for the first time has been fantastic.”

Andrew Gaule, Chief Executive of Aimava, said, “The Quantum Industry Showcase has been very good. It’s great to meet people in person that we’ve been working with for the past 12 to 18 months, and to compare different technologies and applications. There’s a number of companies I’m hoping to follow up with and I’m excited to see where that leads.”

Daniel Howell, Director of Quantum Delft, said, “The Quantum Industry Showcase has been very nice. I came over from the Netherlands because I was keen to see what was going on in the UK quantum sector because the industry is much bigger here. Hopefully next year we’ll be able to do something similar in the Netherlands, it’s great for companies and there’s an impressive academic showing too. I’ve had a few conversations with companies here I’m hoping will be interested in working together in the future.”