UK Quantum computing is going universal through scaling

Like any rational human being, Universal Quantum CEO Sebastian Weidt drives a VW Golf, the best car ever made and a subtle mark of good judgment.

Unlike this writer, whose 20-year-old Golf once made it all the way to Senegal and back, Weidt hasn’t had the chance to cross the Sahara in his. He’s been busy building one of the UK’s most ambitious deep-tech companies.

That company, Universal Quantum, defies geographic expectations. It’s not nestled among the typical tech clusters of Oxford, Cambridge or Bristol. Instead, its headquarters are in Haywards Heath, Sussex, a commuter town halfway between Gatwick Airport and Brighton. 

From a nondescript trading estate that looks like any other in Europe, Universal Quantum is developing some of the most advanced quantum computing hardware in the world.

Weidt believes that his company's location in Europe is important.

Europe has laid the groundwork with world-class research and strong early investment in quantum. But foundations are only the beginning. Now we must back European champions with the ambition and support to lead on the global stage. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity and what we do next will shape Europe’s role in the future of this technology.

The UK’s Quantum Transformation

Over the past decade, the UK has quietly but decisively established itself as a global leader in quantum technologies. It all began in 2013 with the National Quantum Technologies Programme (NQTP) - a multi-agency initiative that has since channelled over £1 billion into quantum research, infrastructure and commercialisation.

Momentum continued with the unveiling of the National Quantum Strategy in 2023, which pledged a further £2.5 billion until 2033. Its most ambitious target, Mission 1, aims to deliver quantum computers capable of executing a trillion operations, outperforming their classical counterparts by the mid-2030s.

The UK government sees quantum not as a fringe science but as critical national infrastructure, comparable to nuclear energy or 5G. And according to Oxford Economics, successful adoption could boost the UK’s GDP by £212 billion over the next two decades. But reaching that potential will mean solving some of the hardest problems in modern engineering and computation.

Building Scalable Quantum Systems

Universal Quantum was founded in 2018 as a spinout from the University of Sussex, the company is led by Weidt and his former professor, Winfried Hensinger—both pioneers in trapped-ion quantum computing, a platform renowned for its long coherence times and high fidelity.

But UQ’s real differentiator lies in its commitment to scale. While many quantum start-ups chase near-term breakthroughs or develop quantum software that runs on someone else’s hardware, Universal Quantum is tackling the most critical bottleneck: how to build fault-tolerant quantum computers with millions of error-corrected qubits; economically, reliably and at scale.

Their solution starts with the iQPU, or integrated Quantum Processing Unit—a proprietary trapped-ion chip designed from the ground up for manufacturability and performance. Each chip is fabricated on a standard 200mm commercial foundry line, a decision that makes industrial scaling feasible. The iQPU itself hosts hundreds of ion qubits on a die larger than 400mm², making it the most spacious chip of its kind in development.

Critically, the chip uses global microwave control rather than relying on traditional laser-based systems. This removed much of the optical complexity found in competing designs and simplifies the overall architecture.

To stitch multiple iQPUs together, UQ developed UQConnect, a proprietary interconnect system that links chips at a rate of 2,424 connections per second, with an ultra-high fidelity of 99.999993%.

This modular and tileable approach allows the system to scale organically, without the bloated infrastructure or exotic cooling requirements found in other platforms. Unlike superconducting quantum systems, Universal Quantum’s machines can operate at room temperature in standard laboratory conditions, sidestepping the need for refrigeration.

Going full stack

The company has adopted a full-stack strategy, designing not just chips but the entire computing environment around them. That includes low-level firmware, quantum circuit optimisation tools, error correction protocols and even application-layer software tailored to industries such as logistics, materials science and pharmaceuticals.

This end-to-end integration ensures coherence across hardware and software layers, enabling meaningful partnerships with companies such as Rolls-Royce, which is working with UQ to apply fault-tolerant quantum computing to computational fluid dynamics (CFD), a core challenge in aerospace engineering.

International Recognition and Local Impact

Universal Quantum’s bold approach has earned it both national and international validation. In 2023, the company was awarded a €67 million contract from the German Aerospace Center (DLR)—the largest ever granted to a UK-based quantum start-up. Under the terms, UQ will deliver two systems: a single-module quantum computer and a multi-module, fault-tolerant machine with logical qubits and gate fidelities as high as 99.99%.

In the UK, the company has won multiple Innovate UK-backed projects and contributes directly to national strategy conversations. It has raised close to £100 million in public and private funding, with active operations in the US, Germany, Japan, Denmark, and Australia. Despite this global footprint, its R&D headquarters remain firmly rooted in Sussex.

That presence is helping catalyse a new regional tech identity. Anchored by the University of Sussex’s Centre for Quantum Technologies, the region is becoming a hub for deep-tech commercialisation. In 2024, the university launched the UK’s first distance-learning quantum technology degree, aimed at alleviating the sector’s acute talent shortage and supporting a national pipeline of quantum professionals.

Part of a Broader Quantum Ecosystem

Universal Quantum is far from alone. The UK’s quantum ecosystem now includes companies such as Oxford Ionics, which also focuses on trapped-ion systems; Riverlane, developing quantum operating systems; ORCA Computing, known for its photonic architecture; and OQC (Oxford Quantum Circuits), which is advancing superconducting qubit systems.

All of these companies benefit from shared national infrastructure, including the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) in Harwell, which supports benchmarking, experimentation and integration across the public-private divide. Government bodies such as UK Research & Innovation and Innovate UK have played key roles in enabling this diversified and competitive landscape.

That said, the UK is not operating in a vacuum. American and Chinese quantum start-ups enjoy deeper capital pools and often faster regulatory pathways. As KPMG and others have warned, the UK must act decisively to stay competitive—or risk losing talent and intellectual property to more aggressive jurisdictions.

Challenges and the Road Ahead

Even with its impressive architecture, Universal Quantum still faces major technical hurdles. Among them: demonstrating logical qubits at commercial scale, achieving consistent high-fidelity gate operations across large systems, and expanding its software ecosystem to support practical, high-value applications.

Yet the company’s trajectory closely mirrors that of the UK’s own quantum ambitions. If Universal Quantum, and its peers, can translate bold blueprints into usable, reliable systems, Mission 1 could become a reality long before 2035.

Conclusion: A Catalyst for a National Quantum Future

Universal Quantum is more than a promising deep-tech start-up. It is a national asset, embodying the kind of engineering excellence, commercial ambition, and regional pride that can power the UK’s quantum future. And from its unassuming home in Sussex, it’s proving that the next great leap in computing might not come from Silicon Valley, or even from Cambridge, but from a place no one expected.

Being based in Sussex is no accident. Weidt is adamant that this is where Universal Quantum belongs—and where it’s staying. More than just a preference, it’s a declaration that quantum innovation can emerge from unconventional locations, reshaping not just the technology but the map of UK tech leadership.

"Sussex has been instrumental to Universal Quantum’s journey. Our close partnership with the University of Sussex gives us access to world-class talent and academic depth, creating a unique environment where cutting-edge research translates directly into scalable technology. It is a foundation that has powered our growth from the very beginning."

In many ways, the story of Universal Quantum is the story of UK quantum itself: ambitious, deeply technical, and entirely within reach—if backed by long-term investment, clear strategy, and the will to lead. 

Moreover, owning a VW Golf has the best car in the world to help him get there although don't expect any trips across the Sahara any time soon, he has work to do.