The Government of United Kingdom and Germany announced plans to deepen collaboration on quantum technology, unveiling £14 million in joint funding and new research agreements on the final day of the German President’s state visit to the UK, the UK government said. Quantum is seen as a technology with huge commercial potential – by 2045 it could contribute £11 billion to UK GDP and create over 100,000 jobs in Britain alone. Quantum computers could accelerate drug discovery, while quantum sensors might power cheaper, more portable, and more accurate medical scanners.
The UK is already Germany’s biggest research partner in Europe, and today’s announcements cement that relationship. They include £6 million in joint funding for quantum R&D, £8 million for the Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics in Glasgow, and a new agreement on quantum research standards. UK Science Minister Lord Vallance said quantum technology will revolutionize fields like cybersecurity, drug discovery, and medical imaging, and that international collaboration is crucial to unlocking those benefits. “Germany is a natural partner to the UK in these efforts,” Vallance noted, adding that the work will support stronger economies, better jobs, and healthier, more secure societies in both countries.
The £6 million joint quantum R&D funding call will launch in early 2026, with Innovate UK and VDI Germany each contributing £3 million. The £8 million for the Fraunhofer Centre in Glasgow will accelerate growth by helping UK businesses bring new quantum products to market. A Memorandum of Understanding signed between the UK’s National Physical Laboratory and Germany’s Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt complements the NMI-Q initiative, a global effort to develop shared quantum standards.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Siemens Healthineers in Oxford on the final day of his state visit, seeing first-hand how UK-Germany collaboration on science and tech supports growth, high-skilled jobs, and better health in both countries. The site produces superconducting magnets for MRI scanners. The announcements build on recent progress to broaden the UK-Germany relationship on science and tech. Last week, UK Minister for Space Baroness Lloyd concluded European Space Agency budget negotiations, where the UK and Germany jointly funded over €6 billion of activity in a total ESA budget exceeding €22 billion.
That included €1 billion in joint funding for launch programs and a €192 million shared commitment to the VIGIL severe space weather mission, along with other UK-Germany investments in programs driving growth and security. Both countries are also investing in space launch capabilities, including €10 million for German company Rocket Factory Augsburg, which plans launches from Scotland in 2026. In October, the UK’s National Supercomputing Centre at the University of Edinburgh was selected to host the UK’s AI Factory Antenna in partnership with the HammerHAI AI Factory in Stuttgart, with DSIT allocating up to £3.9 million to match UK participation in three open EuroHPC calls.
