UK quantum ambitions get a boost as Cambridge joins forces with IonQ
In the largest corporate research partnership in its history, the University of Cambridge is set to become home to the UK’s most powerful quantum computer, and with it, a new chapter in British quantum science.
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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