Cambridge\u2019s contribution will draw on the Maxwell Centre\u2019s commercialisation expertise, with Dr Aga Iwasiewicz-Wabnig serving as Co-Director alongside Imperial Business School\u2019s Professor Ramana Nanda.<\/p>\n
The programme will connect researchers with entrepreneurs, investors and industry partners through commercialisation training, a dedicated quantum accelerator track and a UK-wide digital ecosystem platform.<\/p>\n
PRESS RELEASE \u2014 A consortium of five of the UK\u2019s top universities, including the University of Cambridge<\/a>, has announced the launch of the UK Quantum SuperConnector, an initiative designed to bridge the gap between quantum research and commercial success.<\/p>\n The initiative will create a UK-wide community of entrepreneurs, investors, industry adopters and policymakers that will strengthen the vibrant quantum ecosystem across the UK.<\/p>\n The programme will help researchers across the country to accelerate the adoption of quantum technologies, attract investment and enable growth.\u00a0<\/p>\n The five universities \u2013 Cambridge, Imperial College London, and the Universities of Bristol, Glasgow and Oxford \u2013 all have deep strengths in quantum research and commercialisation.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cambridge\u2019s contribution will draw on its track record in translating quantum research into commercial success through both startups and industrial collaboration, including Nu Quantum<\/a>, Riverlane<\/a>, and the University\u2019s partnership with <\/a>IonQ<\/a> to establish the IonQ<\/a> Quantum Innovation Centre, which was launched in October 2026 and will be the home of the most powerful quantum computer in the UK when it is installed next year.<\/p>\n Professor Ramana Nanda from Imperial Business School will serve as Director of the Quantum SuperConnector. Dr Aga Iwasiewicz-Wabnig, Director of the University of Cambridge<\/a>\u2019s Maxwell Centre<\/a>, will serve as Co-Director.<\/p>\n \u201cThe UK\u2019s long-standing strategic investment in quantum research, including through its National Quantum Technologies Programme (NQTP), already generates world-class science,\u201d said Iwasiewicz-Wabnig. \u201cWe must now build up a matched capability to commercialise and deploy emerging quantum-enabled technologies, wherever in the UK the right ideas originate.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe UK Quantum SuperConnector will draw on the decade of expertise of the Maxwell Centre in taking research towards impact,\u201d said Professor Mete Atat\u00fcre, Head of Cambridge\u2019s Cavendish Laboratory. \u201cWe will also explore connections with the recently-launched IonQ Quantum Innovation Centre<\/a>, enabling UK quantum innovators to supercharge their progress towards commercial deployment.\u201d<\/p>\n By connecting regional strengths in quantum research, entrepreneurship and industry, the SuperConnector will help build stronger innovation clusters across the country and support the growth of globally significant companies in every region of the UK.\u00a0<\/p>\n The SuperConnector will support the Government\u2019s mission to re-industrialise the UK as an innovation-led, research-driven economy, and harness the UK\u2019s exceptional\u00a0higher education assets in support of this ambition.<\/p>\n A central aim of UK Quantum SuperConnector is to support the development of the skilled workforce required for commercial deployment of quantum applications in critical sectors including healthcare, finance, aerospace and defence.\u00a0<\/p>\n The SuperConnector will focus on building the commercial skills and networks needed to translate quantum research into valuable commercial assets, including new quantum and quantum-enabled ventures, licensing opportunities, partnerships and collaborative R&D.\u00a0<\/p>\n In Cambridge, this will include the creation of a dedicated quantum track within the Maxwell Centre\u2019s impulse for tech innovators\u00a0accelerator, capitalising on its convening and network strengths, as well as the launch of a UK-wide digital ecosystem platform.<\/p>\n \u201cThe UK has a unique opportunity to turn its world-leading quantum research into globally competitive companies that will create jobs and drive economic growth,\u201d said Nanda. \u201cThe UK Quantum SuperConnector will help unlock that potential by accelerating the journey from breakthrough science to real-world impact, helping to create the next generation of entrepreneurs and world-leading quantum companies across the UK.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Introducing](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/1794006019_731_Option-1-1-1.png\")
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