Mid Sussex has welcomed a landmark £2.5bn UK Government investment in AI and quantum technologies, strengthening its position at the forefront of next-generation innovation. With world-class research at the University of Sussex, a growing cluster of quantum businesses, and plans for a dedicated Science & Technology Park, the area is set to play a leading role in a sector projected to deliver billions in economic value and tens of thousands of jobs.
The Council recently commissioned an independent report into the value of quantum and its supporting infrastructure to the local and UK economy. The findings show the region could generate £1.2–£1.9 billion GVA locally and £2.5–£4.1 billion nationally by 2050, supporting up to 40,800 jobs across the UK. Read the full report here.
Mid Sussex hosts some of the UK’s most important quantum assets, including:
- One of Europe’s largest vacuum and mu-metal manufacturing clusters, critical to quantum hardware.
- A world-leading research base at the University of Sussex, with the UK’s first four-year quantum technology degree, the first online MSc, and a major EPSRC doctoral training centre.
- Universal Quantum, a Sussex-grown company developing practical, utility-scale quantum computers with over £100m in funding and £65m in customer contracts.
To support growth in the sector, Mid Sussex District Council has:
- Allocated a 48-hectare Science & Technology Park to anchor quantum and advanced technology companies.
- Helped establish the Quantum Sussex Cluster, uniting partners, investors, and innovators across the region.
- Supported the vision for a Sussex Quantum Silicon Valley, which could attract billions in private investment and world-leading quantum facilities.
Professor Winfried Hensinger, Professor of Quantum Technologies, co-director of the Sussex Centre for Quantum Technologies and Head of the Ion Quantum Technology Group at the University of Sussex, said: “The Chancellor’s plan recognises longstanding concerns that innovative UK firms seek capital and support overseas. The £2.5bn commitment aims to reverse that trend, ensuring quantum technologies, expected to generate up to 100,000 jobs, flourish domestically. Sussex and Greater Brighton is ready to support this growth and we look forward to working with the Government to bring this forward in the Sussex Quantum Silicon Valley.”
