Following Jeremy Fleming’s Vincent Briscoe Lecture 2021, where he spoke about the geopolitical competition in technology and its ramifications for the UK;

Sam Holt, Analyst, Thematic Research at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“Quantum computing – and indeed quantum technology more generally – is rapidly becoming critical for companies and governments worldwide. With vast use cases, ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) to weather forecasting, quantum computing’s potential encryption-cracking capabilities should put the technology firmly on the priority list for world leaders and security chiefs.

“In the Vincent Briscoe Lecture, it was reassuring to see Fleming make frequent mention of quantum computing. He mentioned that for the UK to retain its strategic technical advantage, a small percentage of technologies must remain sovereign. The “elements of cryptographic technology” that should be a part of this was no doubt an allusion to quantum computing. The country, or corporation, that possess the first full-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer will be the biggest threat to cryptography the world has ever seen.

“In a lecture that appeared designed to antagonize Russia and China – with references to global conflicts of interests and values – it became clear that quantum technologies are no longer confined to the realm of physics laboratories. Fleming will certainly be aware of China’s quantum supremacy announcement in December last year, hence his call to academics to join the UK’s efforts today. Further, government concerns about rival powers getting their hands on quantum computers are reflected by the billions of dollars of public funding being poured into the sector. While the UK is among the leaders in the West, in both spending and academic prowess, China’s $15bn of investments into quantum technologies dwarfs the rest of the pack. President Joe Biden will no doubt be keeping a close eye on developments in this nascent industry.”