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A National Quantum Computing Centre report says a £30 million UK testbed program helped seven suppliers install prototype quantum computers across five technical approaches. Six systems have entered independent evaluation, which is due to continue through the second quarter of 2027; the report says it is too early to assess the program’s full impact.
The UK’s £30 million quantum computing testbed program helped seven suppliers install prototype systems at or near the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC), according to a new Phase 1 report. Six systems have entered independent technical evaluation, with the main testing program due to conclude in the second quarter of 2027 as the NQCC examines performance and possible applications.
The program placed systems from seven suppliers across five quantum computing approaches at the Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire. The suppliers were Aegiq, Infleqtion, ORCA Computing, Oxford Ionics, Quantum Motion, QuEra and Rigetti. Their approaches include photonics, neutral atoms, trapped ions, silicon-spin qubits and superconducting circuits. Six suppliers installed systems in NQCC-operated facilities; QuEra established its own facility on the same campus.
The report says the initiative’s value extended beyond funding hardware development. Suppliers had to deliver working equipment to a site outside their own laboratories, integrate hardware and software, document operation and prepare for external users. The NQCC acted as an early customer, giving companies practical experience of installation, operation and support in a customer-like setting. The report also describes new supplier relationships and expanded UK operations.
Delivery did not meet every original timetable. The program only partially achieved its target of having two-thirds of testbeds delivered and functional against target performance criteria by March 31, 2025. Some contracts were extended, but the report says all seven delivery contracts were completed during 2025. Six systems were accepted into technical evaluation; one remained in pre-evaluation status. Collaborative projects received £4.6 million in follow-on funding, the report says.
From Prototype Delivery to Evaluation
The program gives suppliers an opportunity to test what it takes to provide a quantum system beyond a laboratory demonstration. Installation, integration, reliability and customer support are practical requirements for any future commercial offering, even though a working testbed does not establish that a system is commercially ready or useful for a particular task.
For the NQCC, having several hardware approaches at one site creates a basis for comparing systems and exploring which, if any, may suit different computational problems. Independent evaluation may give researchers and potential buyers more information than supplier demonstrations alone. The report does not yet provide the evaluation results, so it cannot establish which systems perform best or whether they offer practical advantages for specific applications.
The funding and follow-on projects may also support the UK supplier base. The report records £4.6 million in collaborative follow-on funding and company-reported gains in partnerships and operations. Those are indicators of activity, not evidence that the program has produced a mature market or lasting economic returns.
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How the Testbed Program Took Shape
The NQCC’s Phase 1 initiative was designed to support quantum hardware development while placing prototype systems in an operational setting. Its approach combined funding and technical support with the requirement to deliver equipment to a customer site. The NQCC says this role helped suppliers confront engineering and service demands that may be less visible when work remains within a company’s own laboratory.
The report describes the program as spanning five approaches rather than backing a single hardware design. Examples include Quantum Motion’s QM One silicon-spin system and Aegiq’s Artemis photonic system. Quantum Motion said the project shifted its work from individual components toward engineering a complete computer, while Aegiq described the NQCC as the first customer for its technology. These are company accounts included in the report, not independent assessments of commercial performance.
Some technical development continued alongside deployment. The report says Rigetti upgraded its testbed from 24 to 36 qubits and integrated Riverlane’s Deltaflow system for real-time quantum error-correction experiments. It also notes obstacles reported by some suppliers, including access to packaging, electronics testing and cloud services. The program exceeded its targets for hardware diversity and retention into the next phase, according to the NQCC.
“The delivery of the seven testbeds represents a significant milestone for quantum computing in the UK.”
— Michael Cuthbert, director of the NQCC
Performance Results Are Still Pending
The report covers delivery and supplier experience, but independent performance evaluation is still underway. Six testbeds have been accepted into that phase, while one remains in pre-evaluation status. The source material does not provide comparative results or establish which systems, if any, are suited to specific applications.
The NQCC says it is too early to assess the program’s full impact. Much of the evidence so far concerns delivery milestones and feedback from participating companies. A University of Cambridge pilot study summarized in the report found that suppliers valued the arrangement, but the source does not give enough detail here to quantify that feedback or assess longer-term commercial outcomes.
It is also unclear how quickly reported supplier partnerships and follow-on research will translate into durable business activity. Some companies cited gaps in supporting services, including packaging, electronics testing and cloud provision. Those constraints, as well as the delayed delivery against one target, remain relevant to judging how readily prototype systems can move toward broader use.
Evaluation Continues Through 2027
The NQCC’s Phase 2 work, conducted with the University of Edinburgh’s Quantum Software Lab, is evaluating system performance and exploring possible applications. The main testing program is due to conclude in the second quarter of 2027. The evaluation is expected to provide evidence about how the systems perform and whether particular approaches may fit particular computational problems.
Until those findings are reported, the clearest confirmed outcomes are the completion of seven delivery contracts during 2025, the installation of systems using five approaches and the acceptance of six testbeds into technical evaluation. The next substantive update will be whether the evaluations identify measurable performance differences or credible application areas, and how the suppliers address the operational and supply-chain challenges described in the Phase 1 report.
Key Questions
What is the UK quantum testbed program?
It is a £30 million initiative described in the NQCC’s Phase 1 report. It supported seven suppliers in developing and deploying prototype quantum computing systems, while giving them experience delivering equipment to a customer-like site.
Which companies took part?
The report names Aegiq, Infleqtion, ORCA Computing, Oxford Ionics, Quantum Motion, QuEra and Rigetti as the suppliers awarded contracts.
Have the testbeds been independently tested?
Technical evaluation is underway. Six systems have been accepted into the evaluation phase, while one remains in pre-evaluation status. The report does not provide final comparative results.
When is the evaluation expected to finish?
The main Phase 2 testing program is due to conclude in the second quarter of 2027, according to the report.
Does the report show that the systems are commercially ready?
No. The report describes prototype deployment and supplier experience, but says the independent performance evaluation is still underway and that it is too early to assess the program’s full impact.
Source: thequantuminsider.com
