牛津经济研究院-确保英国能够从量子计算中获益（英）-2025.2_63页_7mb

Summary of the Report: ENSURING THAT THE UK CAN CAPTURE THE BENEFITS OF QUANTUM COMPUTING

Core Content

This report explores the potential economic and strategic benefits of quantum computing for the UK and highlights the importance of government and industry collaboration to secure these advantages. It outlines the current state of the UK quantum industry, the challenges it faces, and the need for sustained investment to ensure the UK remains a global leader in this emerging field.

Main Viewpoints

• Quantum Computing as a Transformative Technology: Quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize computing by solving complex problems that are infeasible for classical computers. This could lead to significant productivity gains and innovation across multiple sectors.

• Economic Potential: The report estimates that by 2045, quantum computing could boost UK productivity by 7%, contributing an additional £212 billion to the economy. The impact on end-user industries could be even more substantial, with some sectors expected to see productivity gains of up to 29.6%.

• UK's Leadership in Quantum: The UK is a global leader in quantum research, with many quantum firms spun out from its universities. It has the strongest academic research base and a growing number of start-ups in the European context.

• Funding Challenges: Despite its strengths, the UK faces significant funding gaps compared to other global powers. The current level of government funding for quantum hardware is more than 10 times smaller than that of peer nations. The report warns that without sufficient investment, UK firms may relocate or lose talent to better-funded regions.

• National Security Implications: Quantum technologies are expected to play a critical role in national security, including secure communication, navigation, and defense. The UK must invest to maintain control over these strategic technologies.

• Collaboration and Policy: The report emphasizes the need for government to act as an "intelligent customer" by supporting procurement and fostering private investment. It also highlights the importance of aligning academic research with commercial applications.

Key Information

• Current UK Quantum Industry: The UK is home to the largest number of quantum start-ups in Europe. Around 63% of quantum hardware companies and 75% of quantum software companies in the UK were spun out of UK universities.

• Productivity Gains by 2045: The report estimates that quantum computing could lead to a 7% economy-wide productivity gain, equivalent to an additional £212 billion in GVA. In some sectors, such as pharmaceuticals, the productivity gains could be as high as 29.6%.

• Global Investment Landscape: Other major powers like the US, China, and Germany are investing heavily in quantum technologies. The US is expected to spend over $900 million in 2024 under its National Quantum Initiative, while China has already invested $15 billion in quantum R&D.

• UK Funding Shortfall: The UK has not re-committed to the previous £2.5 billion funding level. This has led to challenges in scaling quantum firms and has prompted some to seek funding abroad.

• Challenges to Widespread Adoption: Four main challenges must be overcome for quantum computing to achieve widespread commercial use:

  • Reducing noise in quantum systems.
  • Increasing qubit count.
  • Building the necessary infrastructure.
  • Achieving error correction.

• Future Outlook: The report suggests that earlier adoption of quantum technologies, such as by 2029, could accelerate productivity gains. It also highlights the importance of policy and fiscal reforms to support the growth of the quantum industry.

Economic Impact Projections

Conclusion

The UK has the potential to be a global leader in quantum computing, but this requires strategic investment, collaboration between government and industry, and a focus on overcoming technical and financial challenges. The report underscores that the success of the UK quantum industry depends on both public and private sector efforts to ensure the technology is developed, commercialized, and integrated into the economy effectively.