New appointments to UK Quantum Strategic Advisory Board

Two Imperial quantum experts have been appointed to the UK Quantum Strategic Advisory Board.

Provost Professor Ian Walmsley and Dr Jess Wade will support the UK government in seizing the transformative potential of quantum technologies.

With at least 160 companies active across the country, the UK is home to the second largest quantum sector globally, strongly supported by investment from the public and private sectors. As a result, the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology has appointed five new experts to a UK Quantum Strategic Advisory Board. The board will advise on how to further accelerate the benefits of quantum for the UK.

The board is Chaired by Imperial professor and leading figure in the UK's National Quantum Technologies Programe, Professor Sir Peter Knight.

Provost Professor Ian Walmsley 

Provost Professor Ian Walmsley CBE FRS is an active researcher in quantum information processing using light, including quantum computing and simulation, sensing and networking. He leads a research group at Imperial called the Photonic Quantum Information Lab.

Professor Walmsley is also one of the co-founders of ORCA Computing, a quantum computing start-up company.

In recognition of his contributions to quantum optics and ultrafast optics, Professor Walmsley was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2012. In 2024, he was awarded a CBE for services to science and to quantum technologies.

Professor Walmsley said: "Now is an important time for quantum technologies in the UK, as we build on the successes of the past investments. I’m honoured to join Jess on the Advisory Board to help realise the opportunities ahead."

Dr Jess Wade

Dr Jess Wade is Royal Society University Research Fellow and Lecturer in Functional Materials. Her research investigates new materials for optoelectronic, spintronic and quantum technologies, with a focus on chiral systems and the identification of strategies to control photon and electron spin.

Dr Wade actively supports the Centre for Quantum Engineering, Science and Technology (QuEST) at Imperial by organising a variety of events, including policy workshops aimed at demystifying UK quantum policy for researchers, training courses for civil servants and Imperial's Quantum Day celebrations. 

This year she has taken on the role of Academic Lead for a new eight-week 'Quantum Fundamentals' course for civil servants. The course aims to share more about the basic principles of quantum science, the main types of quantum technologies and the challenges associated with the development and deployment quantum hardware.

Dr Wade said "It’s amazing to join the Strategic Advisory Board at such an exciting time for the quantum sector: I look forward to helping deliver the ambitions of the National Quantum Strategy, from championing the UK’s world-leading research to upskilling quantum-curious engineers and inspiring the next generation of quantum scientists."

2025 - The Year of Quantum

2025 marks 100 years since the initial development of quantum mechanics and it has been a busy start to the year for Imperial.

• Provost Professor Ian Walmsley attended the International Year of Quantum launch in Paris in February. The event, convened by UNESCO, brought together the leading experts in the field to exchange ideas and showcase best practices in quantum science education, research and industry applications.
• QuEST and the London Centre for Nanotechnology partnered to showcase the latest quantum research through public engagement for Quantum Day (14 April). Attendees enjoyed an evening of talks, live demos, poetry and quantum dancing, which highlighted the breadth of quantum research at Imperial and across the London Centre for Nanotechnology.
• QuEST has explored new quantum collaborations with the USA through a series of workshops and knowledge exchanges, strengthening quantum research collaborations between Imperial College London, the Chicago Quantum Exchange, and the emerging New York quantum ecosystem.
• During a visit by Denmark's Minister for Higher Education and Science, Christina Egelund, leaders from QuEST showcased their collaborations happening with counterparts from the University of Copenhagen, exploring opportunities for joint work in quantum sensing and secure communication systems. 
• Imperial is helping drive an initiative to accelerate the commersalition of quantum technologies in London, as part of The London Quantum Technology Cluster. Imperial is working with partner universities UCL and King’s College London on the initiative.