Google has announced plans to team up with the UK to invite researchers to find uses for tech giant Willow's state-of-the-art quantum chip.
It is one of several firms competing to develop a powerful quantum computer, seen as an exciting new frontier in the future of computing.
Researchers hope to be able to solve problems in areas such as chemistry and medicine that cannot be solved with modern computers.
Professor Paul Stevenson of the University of Surrey, who had nothing to do with the agreement, told the BBC it was “great news for British researchers”.
The collaboration between Google and the UK's National Quantum Computing Laboratory means more researchers will have access to the technology.
“The new ability to access Google's Willow processor through open competition puts UK researchers in an enviable position,” Professor Stevenson said.
“This is good news for Google too, which will benefit from the skills of UK scientists.”
Quantum devices work fundamentally differently from the computers that power our smartphones and laptops, solving problems using technologies based on the science of particle physics.
But the full potential of the technology has not yet been realized, and currently existing machines have little practical use and most are experimental.
It is hoped that giving UK researchers access to Willow will help “open up new possibilities for real-world applications”.
Scientists will be able to submit proposals describing how they want to use the chip, and will work with experts from Google and Quantum Lab UK to design and carry out experiments.
When Google's Willow chip was introduced in 2024, it was seen as a significant step forward in the field.
Rival firms including Amazon and IBM are also developing their own technologies.
The UK has a significant quantum industry. Quantinuum, which is headquartered in Cambridge and Colorado, US, reached a valuation of $10bn (£7.45bn) in September.
Company announcements of new developments in 2025 have led some experts to believe that powerful machines capable of making a real impact will be developed within a decade.
Dr Michael Cuthbert, director of the National Quantum Computing Center (NQCC), said the partnership would “accelerate discoveries”.
He said the cutting-edge science he will support could eventually lead to the use of quantum computing in areas such as “life sciences, materials, chemistry and fundamental physics.”
The NQCC already hosts seven quantum computers from UK firms such as Quantum Motion, ORCA and Oxford Ionics.
The government says it will commit £670 million to support the technology, which is a priority area of the UK's industrial strategy.
Officials believe quantum energy could bring £11 billion to the UK economy by 2045.
