Funded by the Quantum ARC as part of our third round of seed funding, the first symposium of the OPM-MEG Action Scotland (OMEGAS) initiative showcased the research potential of optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs), an emerging quantum technology to study minute changes in brain and other physiological processes in human health and disease. Taking place in Dundee, the two-day event set out to raise awareness of the need for this technology in Scottish clinical and cognitive neuroscience. Internationally renowned researchers were invited to explore the breadth of OPM possibilities with ground-breaking findings and future perspectives on research into clinical, developmental, pharmacological, and motor aspects of brain function.

On Thursday 30th October, the Quantum ARC hosted a collaborative workshop with the Scottish Alliance for Food (SCAF) on the interface between quantum solutions and food and nutrition innovation at the Royal Society of Edinburgh. The event included short talks, breakout discussions, and networking sessions.

Dr Ashley Lyons, Dr Sam Bayliss, and Dr Emma Pearce spent an afternoon with Advanced Higher Physics pupils at Bearsden Academy to discuss the opportunities available to those pursuing a career in quantum physics. Bringing together two classes of sixth year students imminently applying to university, the session explored the real-world applications of quantum physics and future career possibilities.  

Dr Emma Pearce, a postdoctoral researcher in quantum imaging at the University of Glasgow, kicked off the session by outlining the benefits of seeing single photons, including possibilities in night vision, seeing through objects, and viewing objects in 3D. Emma also shared examples of time-of-flight imaging where you can stop light in motion, with the potential to see round corners and how this applies to future technologies, such as driverless cars.  

Emma also discussed her experience of navigating a career with a physics degree, from initially aiming to pursue medicine, to discovering quantum, and studying in Germany and travelling the world.  

Dr Sam Bayliss and Dr Ashley Lyons, Quantum ARC co-leads, offered perspectives on magnetic fields, in particular Cerca Magnetics’ state of the art MEG scanners, and the manufacturing and uses of quantum computers. Pupils got a chance to see quantum phenomena first hand with a “quantum eraser” demo kit designed by Dr Graham Gibson at the University of Glasgow. The demonstration shows how information such as which direction a photon has travelled can be erased revealing interference effects that are otherwise unexpected. 

Bringing the short-term future back into focus, the class went onto explore the companies and organisations seeking quantum professionals, from AstraZeneca to Google and Microsoft. 

This year’s Quantum Technology School (QTS) featured hands-on taster sessions for students and teachers to learn about fiction vs reality and complimentary subjects for pursuing physics at higher education, alongside demonstrations on quantum tunnelling and semiconductor physics. Our discussion sessions and lab tours in the ARC welcomed 14 secondary school teachers and enabled us to co-create new ideas for effective quantum outreach and schools engagement – including gaining teachers’ feedback on our quantum animations film with Emma Rhodes.

On Wednesday 9th July, we came to the end of a fantastic few days of learning about all things quantum, and, just as importantly, building relationships among the future leaders of the quantum sector in the UK and beyond.

The Quantum Summer School, hosted in conjunction with the Quantum Computer Cluster (QCA), welcomed 60 researchers in the early stages of their careers to the University of St Andrews to gain a deeper understanding of core quantum concepts, develop skills required for future academic and industrial careers, and interact with peers to become part of a nationwide cohort of quantum technology researchers.

The 3-day summer school kicked off with an introduction to the UK quantum ecosystem with Dr Joelle Boutari (AnchoredIn), before taking a closer look at the three pillars of quantum technology: Quantum Sensing & Imaging with Professor Miles Padgett (University of Glasgow), Quantum Computing with Dr Pablo Poggi (University of Strathclyde), and Quantum Communications with Dr Chithrabhanu Perumangatt (Toshiba).

Technical talks for the rest of the school were focused around two main concepts: Quantum Entanglement, led by Prof Sarah Croke (University of Glasgow) and Quantum Algorithms led by Prof Viv Kendon (University of Strathclyde). Both of these concepts were accompanied by real-world examples of the cutting edge research happening across Scotland, from numerous amazing researchers, including discussions on how to entangle different types of qubits alongside real-world applications of quantum algorithms. 

Moving away from the technical discussions (for a well-needed break!), some inspirational speakers gave overviews on their careers in quantum technology, from founding quantum tech companies to joining a newly formed or well-established organisation, or building their own university research group, giving us all a huge breadth of experience to consider.

We also had a session on building and maintaining collaborations, both within quantum research and also in cross-disciplinary sessions – sure to be useful for everyone as the quantum sector looks towards real-world applications over the coming years.

This is without mentioning the narrative CV masterclass (from a reviewer who’s seen thousands of them!) and the workshop on public speaking from VOICE, which was met with much suspicion and apprehension by many of the students, but eventually came to be one of the most rewarding sessions of the school. 

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and to all our fantastic speakers. Thank you also to the St Andrews events team and to Kevin Mitchell, Quantum ARC Photographer, for capturing the event.

Hosted by the Quantum ARC and the Quantum Computing Application Cluster, our careers fair at the University of Glasgow welcomed companies and students from across the spectrum of quantum technologies.

The Quantum ARC team were at this year’s Glasgow Science Festival to share and discuss all things quantum. Visitors were invited to make objects levitate, create and collapse their own quantum states, and see a real quantum computing circuit and hear what quantum systems sound like with researchers from the University of Glasgow.

Supported by the Quantum Alliance, QURECA and the University of Edinburgh Quantum Software Lab hosted a special workshop as part of Quantum Fringe 2025, bringing together Scotland’s innovators to address the real-world impact of quantum threats on cybersecurity.

Quantum Playground, a Quantum ARC seed funded project, launched in May with a 10-day interactive exhibition exploring quantum physics and technology through sound, light, and digital media.

Designed by Alistair Inglis alongside a team of local artists, the fully interactive exhibition set out to engage the public in the field of quantum technology and offered guests the opportunity to play with principles of quantum physics. Photography by Eoin Carey.

We were joined by Joseph Lindley, UKRI Future Leaders Fellow, in another instalment of our Early Career Network seminar series.

Creativity is foundational to research breakthroughs, from developing new directions to solving specific problems. However, despite its critical role, creativity typically receives little discussion in a researcher’s training.

Joe discussed the importance of creativity and craft in research, and the crucial role of ‘night science’ – the idea that the best ideas often come when we step away from our desks. Joe also reflected on his journey from IT professional, musician, and NHS manager to academic and discussed how we can catalyse a more creative and enlightened research community.

Dr Ash Lyons and Dr Sam Bayliss, Quantum ARC Leads, attended Technology Scotland’s event at Scottish Parliament with over 200 key figures from across industry, academia, and Government to celebrate Scotland’s Critical Technologies Supercluster.

The evening provided a forum for industry leaders and policy makers to discuss the significance of these vital technologies. Attendees were given the opportunity to interact with eight live demonstrator stalls showcasing cutting edge innovations that form the backbone of the Supercluster. 

The event was organised by The Photonics and Quantum Accelerator, Technology Scotland, QEPNT – UK Hub for Quantum Enabled Position, Navigation & Timing, the Integrated Quantum Networks (IQN) Hub, and the Quantum ARC. Read more here.

The Alliances for Quantum, Brain Health, Energy, Homes and Livelihoods, and Food joined forces to welcome the author of You Are (Not) a Fraud: A Scientist’s Guide to the Imposter Phenomenon, Dr Marc Reid.

As part of the project ‘Exploring and Catalysing Collaborations Between Scotland’s Quantum Technology and Financial Ecosystems’ and following the initial workshop in May 2024, Gemma Milne and team organised a second workshop in December 2024 which focused on the ‘rules of engagement’ of finance x quantum collaborations in Scotland. The participants took part in various group exercises and discussions (after a panel discussion with speakers from the FCA, British Standards Institute, Moody’s and Glasgow Caledonian University) in order to explore the barriers in ‘making quantum happen’.

The whole project is building towards a policy paper (in progress) about how to unlock Scotland’s quantum finance potential, including a section/recommendation on creating a shared language so that more people and businesses can learn about the opportunities.

Running since 2018, the Quantum Technology School (QTS) is aimed at pupils studying physics or computing science at Higher or Advanced Higher alongside teachers. This year, the School featured talks from researchers and hands-on taster sessions for students to learn about secure communication schemes that harness the laws of quantum physics to detect eavesdroppers, and explore aspects of cryptography, communication, and quantum technologies.

The second seminar in the ECR series welcomed Dr George O. Dwapanyin and Dr Ross Gillanders.

The Quantum Arts Incubator facilitated collaborations between artists and quantum researchers to precipitate new creative responses to emerging quantum technologies. Thirty attendees were joined by Ariane Koek, initiator and founder of Arts at CERN, Sarah Cook, founder of LifeSpace, Scotland’s first dedicated art-science research gallery, and Prof Louise Harris, Professor of Audiovisual Composition at the University of Glasgow, to explore new facets of work through a creative collaboration.

We are really fortunate to have received two pieces of writing about the event from Meagan Jennett and Dr Carly Brown, which effectively demonstrate the scope of potential within the art and quantum space. Read the blogs on our dedicated Arts page.

Our seminar series for early career researchers (ECRs) began with an informal event on narrative CVs with Dr Akhil Kallepalli, Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Strathclyde, and Dr Maria Weikum, Concordat Officer at the University of Strathclyde.

In an ongoing effort to improve research culture, many organisations and funders are adopting narrative CVs in an effort to reform research assessment. By no longer using traditional journal-based metrics to evaluate publications, narrative CVs meet a growing demand to better understand the outputs, skills and experiences that are valued in an individual.

As part of the ‘Exploring and Catalysing Collaborations Between Scotland’s Quantum Technology and Financial Ecosystems’ project, funded by the ARC, Gemma Milne and team ran an industry and expert workshop where researchers, industry players (from startups to multinational corporates), regulators and policymakers came together to explore the potential opportunities at the intersection of quantum technology and finance. The first workshop in May 2024 was designed as an introduction to quantum computing and its applications in the finance sector.

The workshop had 20 participants, from organisations including Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, University of Edinburgh, University of Strathclyde, Photonics Scotland, Craft Prospect (space startup), and Jump Digital (online education startup). Speakers presented opportunities in quantum and finance by taking participants through the basics and applications of: Scotland’s quantum opportunity and ecosystem (talk from University of Glasgow); Encryption and Quantum Key Distribution (talks from Fraunhofer and Toshiba); Forecasting & Optimisation and Quantum Software (talks from QUERECA and University of Edinburgh); and Quantum Sensors & PNT (Position, Navigation and Timing) (talks from University of Strathclyde and Feynic Consulting)

Each section was followed by a group discussion, for the participants to react to the learnings, and share how it could be useful/applied in their organisations; there was also breaks and lunch included to enhance networking opportunities. A group exercise was undertaken on opportunity mapping, to engage the participants and get their feedback and comments on next steps for their learning and collaboration ideas.

The workshop was followed up 6 months later with a second workshop – some of the same participants, some new – which focused on the ‘rules of engagement’ of finance x quantum collaborations in Scotland.

The kick-off event, hosted at the University of Glasgow’s Advanced Research Centre, showcased our new interdisciplinary Alliance and offered an overview of funding opportunities alongside an accessible introduction to quantum technologies for those looking to engage with the sector. Welcoming the quantum technologies community, the event acted as an opportunity to network and discuss strategies for effective engagement with those not currently involved with the sector.