Quantum computing Archives | Digital Watch Observatory

UK launches major AI supercomputer for fusion research

The University of Cambridge has partnered with the UK Atomic Energy Authority and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to deploy a major AI supercomputer for fusion energy. The system, named ‘Sunrise’, is designed to accelerate research into clean and sustainable power.

Developed with support from Dell Technologies, AMD and StackHPC, the GPU-powered machine will operate at 1.4MW capacity. Project marks a significant step in strengthening the UK’s sovereign computing capabilities while supporting the Culham AI Growth Zone initiative.

Focus will centre on solving complex fusion challenges, including plasma turbulence, advanced materials, and fuel development. Advanced simulations and AI modelling are expected to play a key role in bringing fusion energy closer to commercial viability.

Plans aim to support the UK’s long-term goal of delivering fusion power to the national grid in the 2040s. Sunrise is scheduled to become operational in June, forming part of a broader national strategy to expand AI infrastructure and scientific innovation.

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UK Government commits up to £2 billion to quantum technologies

The UK Government has announced up to £2 billion in funding for quantum technologies, including more than £1 billion over the next four years, confirmed by UKRI in December 2025, and a new procurement programme called ProQure designed to support the scaling of quantum computing across the UK.

The announcement is being billed as the country’s ‘Quantum Leap’, positioning the UK as a first mover in quantum commercialisation.

The funding is distributed across several areas: over £500 million for quantum computing to help companies scale and develop applications in pharmaceuticals, financial services, and energy; £125 million for quantum networking; and £205 million for quantum sensing and navigation, with dedicated applications in medical diagnostics, greenhouse gas monitoring, and ultra-secure communications.

A further £13.8 million will be injected into the UK’s five National Quantum Research Hubs, with an additional £90 million for quantum infrastructure and £20 million for skills and commercialisation programmes.

techUK welcomed the announcement, noting that the UK is already home to 11% of the world’s quantum startups and has attracted 12% of global quantum private equity investment.

The trade association highlighted the ProQure procurement programme as a step in the right direction, but cautioned that sustained, long-term private investment will be essential to support deep-tech companies through lengthy development cycles.

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UK quantum ambitions get a boost as Cambridge joins forces with IonQ

The University of Cambridge has announced its largest-ever corporate research partnership, with US quantum technology company IonQ set to install a 256-qubit quantum computer at the Cavendish Laboratory, which will become the most powerful quantum computer in the UK upon installation.

The system will be housed in the newly created IonQ Quantum Innovation Centre at the Ray Dolby Centre, Cambridge’s new physics home.

As part of the collaboration, Innovate UK will provide access and computing time to UKRI’s National Quantum Computing Centre over three years, enabling researchers and early-stage companies across the UK to use the first commercial-scale quantum computer installed at a British university.

The centre’s research portfolio will span quantum computing, networking, sensing, and security.

The partnership aligns with the UK Government’s National Quantum Strategy and its five ‘Quantum Missions’, which set milestones for investment and research to secure the UK’s position as a world leader in quantum technology.

IonQ has been rapidly expanding its capabilities through acquisitions, including Oxford Ionics for $1.08 billion in September 2025 and chipmaker SkyWater Technology for $1.8 billion in January 2026.

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How IBM is making quantum-centric supercomputing accessible to scientists

IBM has published a detailed reference architecture for quantum-centric supercomputing, providing a blueprint for integrating quantum processing units (QPUs) into existing high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure without disruptive changes to current systems.

The release marks a significant step toward realising the vision articulated by physicist Richard Feynman, who argued decades ago that accurately simulating nature would require quantum-mechanical computation.

The architecture describes how quantum and classical systems, including CPUs, GPUs, and QPUs, can work together across multiple layers, from application and middleware tools such as Qiskit and CUDA through to resource management systems that orchestrate workloads in real time.

New algorithms such as Sample-based Krylov Quantum Diagonalisation (SKQD) are already demonstrating cases where quantum-centric workflows outperform leading classical-only methods, including in molecular ground-state energy calculations, where classical techniques failed to converge.

Real-world research applications are already emerging.

Scientists at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation used quantum-centric methods to simulate a 300-atom protein, the largest molecular simulation to date. In contrast, a team spanning IBM, Oxford, ETH Zurich, and other institutions used quantum algorithms to study a newly engineered ‘half-Möbius’ molecule whose electronic structure cannot easily be modelled classically.

IBM describes the trajectory as pointing toward a near future in which quantum computing can predict molecular properties that scientists can then bring to life in the laboratory.

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Britain targets quantum leadership with £1bn investment

UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Liz Kendall has announced a £1bn funding package to boost UK quantum computing and retain domestic talent.

The initiative reflects growing concern over the country’s ability to compete globally, particularly after the US established dominance in AI.

Officials emphasised the need to retain British startups, engineers, and researchers who often relocate abroad in search of better funding and scaling opportunities. The UK produces top talent, but Google and OpenAI own many leading firms.

The investment will support the development of large-scale quantum computers for use across science, industry, and the public sector. Another £1bn will fund real-world use in finance, pharmaceuticals, and energy.

The government aims to build a fully operational domestic quantum system by the early 2030s.

Quantum computing uses qubits that can exist in multiple states simultaneously, enabling far greater computational power than classical systems. Fully fault-tolerant machines are still in development, but the technology could drive advances in drug discovery, materials science, and complex modelling.

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China prioritises AI and tech self-reliance in new five-year plan

A new five-year development plan approved by lawmakers in Beijing places innovation and advanced technology at the centre of future economic growth. The strategy is designed to strengthen technological capabilities and position China as a leading global tech power.

The plan outlines ambitions to upgrade China’s industrial sector, expand domestic research capacity, and reduce reliance on foreign technologies. Priority sectors include AI, robotics, aerospace, biotechnology, and quantum computing. Officials see these industries as key drivers of economic growth over the coming decades.

AI features prominently in the strategy, with the term appearing dozens of times in the policy document. Beijing plans to expand AI-related industries, invest in large computing clusters, and support the development of advanced systems capable of performing complex tasks beyond traditional chatbots.

China also aims to increase spending on science and technology, with government research budgets rising by around 10 percent annually. The plan sets a target of expanding research and development investment by at least 7 percent per year, reflecting Beijing’s intention to strengthen domestic innovation capacity.

Efforts to achieve greater technological self-sufficiency come amid continued tensions with the United States over trade and technology restrictions. Export controls on advanced semiconductor technologies have highlighted China’s dependence on foreign chips, prompting the government to pursue breakthroughs across the semiconductor supply chain and emerging technologies.

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AI and quantum computing reshape the global cybersecurity landscape

Cybersecurity risks are increasing as digital connectivity expands across governments, businesses and households.

According to Thales Group, a growing number of connected devices and digital services has significantly expanded the potential entry points for cyberattacks.

AI is reshaping the cybersecurity landscape by enabling attackers to identify vulnerabilities at unprecedented speed.

Security specialists increasingly describe the environment as a contest in which defensive systems must deploy AI to counter adversaries using similar technologies to exploit weaknesses in digital infrastructure.

Security concerns also extend beyond large institutions. Connected devices in homes, including smart cameras and speakers, often lack robust security protections, increasing exposure for individuals and networks.

Policymakers in Europe are responding through measures such as the Cyber Resilience Act, which will introduce mandatory security requirements for connected products sold in the EU.

Long-term risks are also emerging from advances in quantum computing.

Experts warn that powerful future machines could eventually break widely used encryption systems that currently protect communications, financial data and government networks, prompting organisations to adopt quantum-resistant security methods.

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Japan expands strategic investment in AI, quantum computing, and drones

Japan has identified dozens of advanced technologies as priority investment targets as part of an economic strategy led by Sanae Takaichi.

The plan aims to channel public and private capital into industries expected to drive long-term economic growth.

Government officials selected 61 technologies and products for support across 17 strategic sectors. The list includes emerging fields such as AI, quantum computing, regenerative medicine and marine drones.

Many of these technologies are still in early development, but are considered important for economic security and global competitiveness.

The strategy forms a central pillar of Takaichi’s broader economic agenda to strengthen Japan’s industrial base and encourage investment in high-growth sectors. Authorities plan to release spending estimates and implementation timelines by summer as part of a detailed investment roadmap.

Japan has also set ambitious market goals in several sectors. Officials aim to secure more than 30% of the global AI robotics market by 2040 while increasing annual sales of domestically produced semiconductors to ¥40 trillion.

Several Japanese technology companies could benefit from the policy direction. Firms such as Fanuc, Yaskawa Electric and Mitsubishi Electric are integrating AI into industrial robots, while Sony Group produces sensors used in robotic systems.

Chipmakers, including Rohm, Kioxia and Renesas Electronics, may also benefit from increased investment in semiconductor manufacturing and related supply chains.

Despite strong investor interest, analysts note uncertainty about how the programme will be financed, particularly as Japan faces rising spending pressures from social security, defence and public debt.

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Global AI race intensifies as China claims leadership in strategic technologies

China asserted its position as the global leader in AI and strategic technology R&D, pledging to accelerate advancement toward technological autonomy. The assertion was prominently featured in government reports presented to the National People’s Congress.

A National Development and Reform Commission report states that China leads international research, development, and implementation in AI, biomedicine, robotics, and quantum technology. The report also references advancements in domestic chip innovation as proof of progress.

Competition between China and the United States for dominance in advanced technologies has escalated. Washington imposed export controls on advanced chips, while Beijing retaliated with restrictions on rare earth resources, escalating trade tensions over strategic technologies.

The report also highlighted the country’s global leadership in open-source AI models and its expansion into emerging technology sectors, including industrial robots and drones. Authorities pledged to nurture future industries such as quantum technology, embodied AI, and 6G networks, while promoting large-scale AI deployment across key sectors.

Officials also plan to launch new data centres, coordinate nationwide computing capacity, and establish mechanisms to prevent AI security risks. The strategy places particular emphasis on embodied AI to boost productivity and performance across sectors. Although US firms command larger investment resources, Beijing is relying on supply chains, manufacturing capacity, and rapid R&D cycles to scale emerging industries despite questions about long-term growth.

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Chrome unveils 3-phase quantum-resistant HTTPS upgrade with Merkle Tree Certificates

Google has outlined a plan to strengthen Chrome’s HTTPS security against future quantum-computing threats. Rather than expanding traditional X.509 certificate chains in Chrome with post-quantum cryptography, the company is developing a new model based on Merkle Tree Certificates (MTCs).

The proposal from the PLANTS working group seeks to modernise the web public key infrastructure. Under the MTC model, a Certification Authority signs a single ‘Tree Head’ covering many certificates. Browsers receive a lightweight proof instead of a full certificate chain.

Google said this structure reduces authentication data exchanged during TLS handshakes while supporting post-quantum algorithms. By decoupling cryptographic strength from certificate size, the approach seeks to preserve performance as stronger security standards are adopted.

The company is already testing MTCs with real internet traffic. Phase one involves feasibility studies with Cloudflare, while phase two, in early 2027, will invite selected Certificate Transparency log operators to support initial public deployment.

By the third quarter of 2027, Google plans to establish requirements for onboarding certificate authorities to the quantum-resistant Chrome Root Store, which exclusively supports MTCs. The company described the initiative as foundational to maintaining long-term web security resilience.

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