Eastleigh-based Aquark Technologies, innovators in miniaturising deployable sensing and timing applied sciences based mostly on chilly atoms, immediately introduced it has been awarded a €1.6 million (£1.4 million) contract by Innovate UK.
The contract will facilitate the long run deployment of Aquark’s chilly atom-based atomic clock, AQlock, at a serious telecommunications web site within the UK. NPL and Purbrook are subcontractors on the undertaking, which is able to run till the tip of March 2026.
“It’s vital that we defend our telecoms – not only for the good thing about each day civilian life, but in addition for our nationwide safety and economic system. It’s subsequently an honour to work alongside Innovate UK to deliver this undertaking to life,” stated Alexander Jantzen, COO and co-founder of Aquark Applied sciences.
In line with EU-Startups protection, there was comparable sector funding energetic throughout the continent.
Within the Netherlands, QT Sense raised €6 million to advance its quantum-sensing platform for biomedical functions. Inside the UK, Zero Point Motion secured €4.7 million in pre-Collection A funding to develop ultra-sensitive inertial sensors for navigation, whereas QFX raised €2.2 million to increase its modular quantum {hardware} platform.
Within the adjoining quantum computing area, Phasecraft accomplished a €29 million Collection B to speed up algorithmic improvement.
Aquark’s government-backed contract subsequently enhances this sample of private and non-private funding geared toward strengthening the UK’s and Europe’s management in sensible, deployable quantum applied sciences.
“With AQlock 2, we’ll scale back the UK’s reliance on satellite tv for pc indicators which are susceptible to jamming, spoofing, photo voltaic storms and extra. This may assist defend hundreds of thousands from the ability outages, emergency companies and provide chain disruption our networks are vulnerable to immediately, in addition to handle the massive financial losses that may happen in consequence,” added Jantzen.
Based in 2021, Aquark Applied sciences builds and delivers the “world’s smallest and most deployable” chilly atom quantum {hardware} to boost accuracy, precision, and stability in vital business operations.
Constructing on deep information in quantum, vacuum engineering, micro-fabrication and photonics, Aquark is devoted to delivering sturdy, compact, and energy-efficient quantum {hardware}, and to creating quantum gadgets extra accessible and reasonably priced, prepared to be used outdoors managed lab environments in on a regular basis functions.
AQlock permits distributed, GNSS-independent positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT). Because the undertaking’s lead contractor, Innovate UK is supporting Aquark to display the product’s industrial readiness and showcase its functionality to boost the UK’s nationwide vital infrastructure, together with nationwide community efficiency.
Innovate UK chosen Aquark following its software for the aggressive Contract for Innovation: Quantum Sensors and PNT Missions Primer. The collaboration follows a number of profitable trials by Aquark with the Nationwide Bodily Laboratory (NPL) and the Royal Navy, in addition to earlier contracts with Innovate UK and a latest €2.1 million (£1.9 million) Future Leaders’ Fellowship.
Important infrastructure, together with navigation methods, knowledge networks, communications, and energy distribution centres, require exact timing and sensor methods which are compact, transportable, and sturdy.
In line with the corporate, the methods at present out there to fulfill these calls for are expensive, arduous to combine, and rely too closely on many advanced parts and fragile provide chains. Aquark’s newest contract with Innovate UK is subsequently a step in the direction of stopping the estimated £1 billion each day financial losses related to GNSS outages and contributes to the UK’s National Quantum Strategy objective to construct quantum-powered infrastructure impartial of satellite tv for pc indicators.
The corporate outlines that this undertaking will ship extra sturdy telecommunications networks for hundreds of thousands throughout the UK, strengthening nationwide infrastructure and solidifying the UK’s place as a frontrunner in scalable quantum sensing options.
