Tech and AI
Britain backs quantum sensing firms with 50 million pounds, including a system to find faults in railway track
By Staff Writer | 14 October 2026
Winning projects include rail fault detection where satellite positioning cannot reach, a handheld eye scanner and a mobile quantum radio. Further money goes to communication networks and apprenticeships.
British businesses developing quantum technologies are to share 50 million pounds of government funding to turn early stage sensing, positioning, navigation and timing systems into products, the government announced on Tuesday 13 October. The money is delivered through a UK Research and Innovation competition.
Quantum sensors exploit the behaviour of atoms and other tiny particles to make extremely precise measurements. The government says the funded companies are building systems that could outperform today's technology in areas including transport, healthcare, infrastructure and national security.
Quantum has long been an exciting technology, but now real world applications are within our grasp.
Chris McDonald, Science, Innovation and Investment Minister
The winning projects
Among the winners is a quantum monitoring system led by MoniRail, based in the West Midlands, designed to pinpoint faults in railway track and signalling equipment in places that satellite positioning cannot reach, so that track staff can deal with problems as they arise. Siloton, based in Bristol, is developing a handheld quantum eye scanner to make advanced eye diagnostics available outside specialist hospitals.
ColdQuanta UK, based in Oxfordshire, is backed to develop a compact, mobile quantum radio able to locate signals with high accuracy, which the government says could support military intelligence, protect critical infrastructure such as airports and help emergency responders find distress signals.
The government's stated goal is for the UK to lead the world in quantum sensing by 2030, backed by up to 2 billion pounds of investment announced earlier this year.
Networks and skills
Alongside the competition, UK Research and Innovation is investing 20 million pounds in UK businesses to build capability in quantum communication networks, including support for Sheffield based Aegiq to develop components such as lasers and photonic chips. An 8 million pound expansion of its QuEST Apprentices Programme aims to equip 150 engineering apprentices by 2030 to support the quantum workforce.
Mr McDonald said the funding would help teams turn ideas into products, grow the economy and create jobs. Professor Charlotte Deane, the UK Research and Innovation lead for its quantum priority programme, said the funding also builds UK supply chains for the parts quantum technology depends on, and gives military and emergency responders reliable ways to navigate and stay connected when conventional systems cannot be relied on. Other supported projects listed by the government include a camera from QLM Technology in Wales to see and measure greenhouse gases in energy, water and waste infrastructure, and a next generation satellite clock from Quantum Fabrix in Oxford.