The United Kingdom and the United States of America have signed a new joint statement of intent to boost collaboration on quantum science and technologies – helping to realise the full potential of the technology and deepen ties between the 2 countries.

Signed today by the Science Minister George Freeman and the US Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Science Advisor to the President, Dr Eric Lander, the statement sets out shared priorities for continued cooperation between the 2 nations, including promoting joint research, building the global market and supply chain and training the next generation of scientists and engineers.

The agreement builds on the UK and USA’s long history of world-leading research partnerships, including in quantum information science and technology, and follows June’s announcement that the UK and USA will develop a new partnership on technology.

UK Science Minister George Freeman said:

Quantum technologies are set to revolutionise computing with huge opportunities across our economy and society: from everyday functions like medical diagnosis and drug discovery to cyber security and AI.

The UK and US have been at the forefront of advancing this cutting edge area of science and technology.

Today’s agreement is the latest chapter in the close partnership between our 2 countries in science and innovation, and I look forward to seeing the results for both nations in the years ahead.

US Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and Science Advisor to the President, Dr Eric Lander said:

Science transcends borders, and cooperation with partners accelerates the way we bring technologies to market. I am delighted we can deepen our relationship with the UK on quantum information science. By working together, we can broaden training opportunities, develop new applications for quantum technology, and think globally about how to maximize the benefits of these technologies for everyone.

The technologies that have transformed our lives – the building blocks of modern computers, the mobile phone, the laser, the MRI scanner – are all products of quantum science. This involves harnessing the unique ways that light and matter behave at tiny atomic or subatomic levels.

A new generation of quantum technologies exploit breakthroughs in the way that we are able to precisely manipulate and measure these special properties, to engineer quantum devices with dramatically enhanced functionality and performance.

Today’s agreement will also see the National Physical Laboratory and the National Institute of Standards and Technology explore ways to grow their long-standing partnership between quantum programmes through alignment of projects and the exchange of staff and students in key areas, including quantum metrology, computing, clocks and future technical standards.

This statement of intent also aims to facilitate new research partnerships, as well as grow ties between businesses in the UK and US. In the coming months, UK and US industry will meet to establish new connections and explore future opportunities to work together to grow the global quantum industry.

The UK and US have a well-established history of close cooperation on cutting-edge quantum science and technology. In January, the government announced support for 3 projects involving UK and US collaborators to apply quantum technologies to fundamental physics questions about the universe.

An enhanced partnership between UK Research & Innovation and the US National Science Foundation is further intended to help facilitate new research collaborations in quantum.

International partnerships are part of a wider £1 billion government and industry investment through the National Quantum Technologies Programme to commercialise quantum innovations and secure the UK’s status as a world-leader in quantum science and technologies.

The signing comes as Innovate UK also announces £50 million from their £170 million Commercialising Quantum Technologies challenge for 12 projects, including a quantum computing system that can model and predict the properties of drugs, leading to significantly faster and more efficient drug discovery.

The £50 million of domestic funding announced today is part of UKRI’s £170 million Commercialising Quantum Technologies challenge, which aims to encourage private investment and create economic and societal benefits through driving innovation across a range of sectors including automotive, healthcare, infrastructure, telecommunications, cybersecurity and defence.

The UK has announced more than £55m of support to help Pakistan tackle climate change as part of the COP26 global climate change summit this week.

As global leaders come together for COP26, this is a critical time for Pakistan. It has been ranked the 8th most vulnerable country to climate change, and by 2100, rising temperatures mean 36% of glaciers along the Hindu Kush & Himalayan range will be gone.

The UK has already achieved notable successes. 90% of the world’s economy is now covered by net zero targets, up from less than 30% when the UK took on the Presidency of COP26. This will help the most vulnerable countries like Pakistan.

The new funding for climate change in Pakistan is split into three parts:

*A 5-year climate resilience programme – worth £38 million – will help Pakistan’s poorest communities to protect themselves from the changing climate;

*A 5-year water governance programme – worth £15 million – will make water use in Pakistan more sustainable and water access fairer;

*An additional £2.5 million to support new ways of attracting much needed climate investment to Pakistan, including on the development of a Nature Performance Bond. On World Environment Day in June alongside Prime Minister Imran Khan the UK committed to this. The British High Commissioner was due to announce the urgently needed new programmes at a high-level reception for climate change stakeholders at the British High Commission in Islamabad this evening (November 4th).

Dr Christian Turner CMG said: “For Pakistan, climate change could be catastrophic. That is why we are working together on trees and finance, and mobilising leading Pakistani businesses. This £55m new funding will ensure Pakistan becomes more resilient to climate impacts, with more sustainable water use and greater access to climate finance, so improving lives and livelihoods.

On COP26, the UK has been working with Pakistan on:

• A #26For26 campaign to have 26 Pakistani companies commit to halving emissions by 2030 and getting to net zero by 2050. 29 companies have so far signed up;
• Pakistan successfully joining more than 100 countries to pledge to end and reverse deforestation by 2030.

Even before COP26, the UK had been working closely with Pakistan on climate change, and will provide £7m this year to help the country achieve its climate change objectives. Earlier this year the UK launched a new programme in Lahore to promote cleaner brick production practices which will help improve air quality, reduce smog and fight climate change.

Notes to editors:

1. COP26 is the largest international event of its kind ever to be held in the UK with more than 25,000 delegates arriving in the city of Glasgow, including world leaders, opinion formers and top businesses. It will work to prevent global temperatures rising above 1.5C and protect our planet and people from the impacts of climate change.

2. On World Environment Day, at an event hosted by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the UK, alongside other countries agreed to start a dialogue with Pakistan on the development of a Nature Performance Bond. Today’s announcement is a follow up to this dialogue. Funds to attract climate investment will help structure financing instruments and investment deals, and will include the next stage of work to develop a Nature Performance Bond structure for donors and investors to consider

3. As hosts of COP26 (co-hosted with Italy), the UK has been driving international action and support to adapt to the effects of climate change, which are already impacting lives, livelihoods and natural habitats across the world. Thirty five countries have joined the Adaptation Action Coalition, and over 2,000 businesses, investors, regions, cities and other non-state actors have joined the Race to Resilience. Over 40 countries and organisations have joined the Risk-Informed Early Action Partnership, committing to make 1 billion people safer from disaster by 2025.

4. Climate finance will be key at COP26. To support the transition to net zero, climate resilient economies, getting public and private finance flowing is crucial, especially to emerging markets and developing economies. Under the UK’s COP26 & G7 Presidencies, we have seen clear moves towards this goal. G7 countries have committed new finance towards the $100bn in climate finance goal, including more funding for adaptation. Ends

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