Our communication networks are evolving rapidly to keep pace with our data-driven economy. Quantum network technologies are poised to revolutionize how we handle data, ensuring its security, scalability, and usability. This competition aims to expedite the commercialization of quantum network technologies by identifying and addressing key technological barriers.

Key Points:

1. Identify Technological Barriers: Your project should pinpoint significant technological barriers and their impact on businesses.
2. Highlight Customer Adoption Challenges: Describe how these barriers hinder widespread customer adoption.
3. Offer Innovative Solutions: Develop competitive technical solutions to overcome these challenges.
4. Demonstrate Viability: Plan to showcase the technical solution's commercial viability.
5. Roadmap for Future Exploitation: Provide a roadmap for future commercial exploitation of quantum network technologies.
6. Enhance Scalability: Show how your project will enhance the scalability of quantum network technologies and establish UK leadership in the global market.

Focus Areas:

• Second Generation Quantum Technologies: Projects involving the generation and control of quantum states, including superposition and entanglement, are encouraged.
• Photon Generation and Detection: Technologies related to single photon generation and detection are within scope.

Project Goals:

• Enable quantum networks to operate at scale.
• Develop security frameworks for real-world quantum-enabled solutions.
• Advance critical enabling technologies for scale manufacturing.
• Connect quantum processors into networked architectures for enhanced capabilities.
• Collaborate with network architects, operators, and service providers to integrate quantum technologies into existing solutions.

Portfolio Approach:

We aim to fund diverse projects across various technologies, themes, markets, and technological maturity levels, ensuring a comprehensive portfolio of innovations.

Specific Themes:

Projects should focus on one or more of the following:

• Techniques for securing data in storage and during transmission.
• Networking quantum computers to advance information processing.

Research Categories:

We will fund both feasibility and industrial research projects, adhering to the defined categories of research as outlined in the guidance.