The UK and Germany have announced a significant new investment package, totaling £14 million ($18.7 million USD), to accelerate quantum research, development, and standardization as part of a Strategic Science and Technology Partnership. The announcement was made on the final day of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s State Visit to the UK.

The financial commitments include:

  • £6 million ($8 million USD) Joint R&D Funding: A joint quantum R&D funding call will launch in early 2026, with Innovate UK and VDI Germany each contributing £3 million ($4 million USD) to support collaborative projects between the two nations.
  • £8 million ($10.7 million USD) Investment in Applied Photonics: The UK government will invest £8 million ($10.7 million USD) to support research and development at the Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics in Glasgow. This funding aims to accelerate the growth of the UK’s quantum industrial base by helping businesses bring new quantum products to market.

The announcement also formalized a critical commitment to metrology through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the UK’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Germany’s Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). This agreement is intended to advance shared quantum standards and complements the global NMI-Q initiative, which coordinates measurement best practices across major industrial nations.

UK Science Minister Lord Vallance emphasized that international collaboration is crucial to unlocking quantum’s potential, noting that the work will support stronger economies and secure societies in both countries.

Read the full announcement from the UK Government here.

December 7, 2025

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