FOI release

FOI2023/00928: Origin of the National Quantum Technologies Programme

This request was refused in part, so we didn't provide some of the information the requester asked for. This may include information where we can neither confirm nor deny that we hold it.

Case reference FOI2023/00928

Published 24 January 2024

Request

Request Received: 21 November 2023

I would like to make the following freedom of interest request:

The information I am looking for relates to the genesis of the National Quantum Technologies Programme, which was announced in the Autumn Statement of 2013. Based on secondary research, I have learned that, largely driven by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), a meeting was held at Chicheley Hall both to review the state of quantum developments, and also to map the current UK activities in quantum technologies across academia, industry and government. That meeting and a resulting UK Quantum Technology Landscape document galvanised the quantum tech community to bid to government for a major "Quantum Technologies" (QT) initiative. That bid was successful, and the government provided £270m over a five-year period for the first phase of this programme.

I cannot find the original UK Quantum Technology Landscape document through secondary research, though I can locate subsequent publications in 2014 and 2016 (attached below).

I would like to see, if possible, the documentation and information regarding this "bid" to the government and the subsequent discussions that took place that resulted in the Autumn statement announced by the then Chancellor in 2013.

I'm curious to learn what information was provided to the government that convinced them to release the necessary funds.

https://www.quantumcommshub.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/QuantumTechnologyLandscape.pdf

https://uknqt.ukri.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/UK-Quantum-Technology-Landscape-2016.pdf

Dates: Timeframe would be 2012-2013

People and organizations involved: There are many people that are listed on the very last page of the documents I've copied above, but some key people are DSTL, Dr. David Delpy, Dr. Helen Margolis

Response

Response Sent: 15 December 2023

Full details of this response are provided in the attached documents.

Documents

• FOI_Response_Letter_FOI2023_00928_Redacted.pdf (259.1 KB)
• Quantum Technologies - BIS AS business case_Redacted.pdf (741.8 KB)

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