SUMMARY NOTE of the Strategic Advisory Board meeting, 22 July 2015, Medical Research Council, London. (Meeting held jointly with the Programme Operations Group and Quantum Technology Hub Directors). Members Present: Strategic Advisory Board (SAB) Members Dr. John Bagshaw Dr. Trevor Cross Professor Dave Delpy (Chairman) Professor Peter Dobson Mr. Mark Hughes Professor Sir Peter Knight Mr. Roger McKinlay Professor Gerard Milburn Professor Neil Stansfield Dr. Heather Tewkesbury Professor Ian Walmsley BAE Systems e2v Independent University of Warwick BT Security NPL Quantum Technology Champion Royal Institute of Navigation University of Queensland Smith Institute University of Oxford Programme Operations Group Members & Programme Partner Organisation Representatives Dr. Sue Armfield BIS Dr. Liam Blackwell Mrs. Wendy Carr Dr. Richard Gunn Ms. Amanda Howes Dr. Rhys Lewis NPL Dr. Richard Murray Innovate UK Dr. Jonathan Pritchard Dr. Daniel Sheppard CESG Dr. Daniel Smith BIS Dr. Stephen Till Dr. Lesley Thompson Quantum Technology Hub Directors Professor Steve Beaumont Professor Kai Bongs Professor Tim Spiller Professor Ian Walmsley Apologies Dr. Simon Bennett Dr. Bob Cockshott Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones University of Glasgow University of Birmingham University of York University of Oxford Innovate UK KTN UK Parliament, House of Lords NOTE: The Strategic Advisory Board agreed that further details of discussions under items (2)-(6) are to be used for the purpose of policy and strategy development and should 1 P age
therefore be exempt from public scrutiny, in accordance with section 36 (conduct of public affairs) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. 1. National Programme Update and Risk Register 1.1 The Chair invited attendees to give a brief introduction. SAB welcomed Roger McKinlay (Royal Institute of Navigation) and Heather Tewkesbury (Smith Institute) to the Board. 1.2 The Chair invited SAB to review the note of actions raised during the previous meeting on 18 March 2015. SAB noted the progress made in addressing the outstanding action points from the previous meeting. 1.3 Attendees were presented with an update on progress by the Programme partner organisations since the previous SAB meeting on 18 March 2015, and recent progress by the Quantum Technology Hubs, and acknowledged the progress that had been made. 1.4 The SAB requested an update on plans to develop a central website for the Programme and noted that this is currently under development and due to go live shortly. The SAB requested that the website include a calendar of relevant events and news items. 1.5 The SAB discussed attendance at an upcoming European Commission workshop and thanked Innovate UK for agreeing to coordinate UK QT Programme representation. 1.6 The attendees were presented with an update to the draft risk register that was presented at the previous meeting on 18 March 2015. The SAB had previously requested the development of a risk register for the National Programme to identify risks to its success, and provide a systematic means for evaluating, monitoring and addressing risks. 1.7 Following the 18 March SAB meeting, the Programme Operations Group had provided further input, building on the initial suggestions of risks provided by SAB. Programme Operations Group members had proposed additional risks and then clustered these suggestions into seven aggregated board level risks, as well as proposing a number of accompanying mitigation factors. 1.8 The SAB requested that the Programme Operations Group make some further modifications to the articulation of the proposed risks, in particular to take account of external forces such as the progress of competing technologies. The SAB also requested that the Programme Operations Group provide additional detail on the accompanying mitigation factors and the proposed strategy for monitoring these. 1.9 The SAB requested that the Programme Operations Group make the requested modifications to the draft risk register and share this with SAB members to enable further discussion in advance of the next SAB meeting on 25 November 2015. 1.10 The SAB agreed that a review of the risk register should be introduced as a standing agenda item at future Board meetings. 2 P age
2. National Programme Capability Mapping 2.1 The attendees were presented with the draft national capability map that had been previously requested by the SAB and developed by on behalf of the Programme Partners. 2.2 The draft national capability map had been structured to differentiate between different aspects of quantum technologies capability (based on definitions derived from previously published landscape and road mapping documents) and capabilities were scored based on information readily accessible to. 2.3 The attendees divided into four groups to provide feedback on a particular aspect of the draft capability map using a series of common questions. Attendees provided input on the suitability of the proposed framework, and provided further input on the assignment and scoring of national capability and additional sources of contextual information that could be used to develop the map. 2.4 The SAB requested that the Programme Operations Group collate the input from the four groups and make the suggested modifications to the framework and scoring that were requested by attendees, to encourage further discussion by SAB members. 2.5 The SAB agreed that the modified capability map should be presented at the next SAB meeting on 25 November 2015 for further review. 3. International Collaboration within the National Programme 3.1 The Chair invited Sue Armsfield to present an update on international engagement activities. Attendees were then invited to provide input to enable further development of a strategy for international engagement, building on previous guidance and the Maximising UK benefit through international engagement chapter of the UK National Quantum Technologies Strategy (the national strategy ). 2.2 The attendees divided into four groups, each considering a different aspect of quantum technologies, to comment on the scope, timeliness and reach of current and proposed international activities, and to identify opportunities for international collaboration. 2.3 The SAB requested that the Programme Operations Group collate the input from the four working groups and present this back to the SAB at the next meeting on 25 November 2015. The SAB requested that the Programme Operations Group prioritise potential collaborative opportunities for further investigation, based on attendees input during the session. 4. Implementation of the National Programme 4.1 The attendees were presented with a proposed implementation plan requested by the SAB and developed by the Programme Operations Group, in order to summarise objectives under the five areas for action identified in the national strategy and capture the actions being taken by Programme partners over the current funding allocation to deliver the strategy. 3 P age
4.2 During the 18 March SAB meeting, attendees discussed a number of objectives that were identified during the development of the strategy. Following this meeting, the Programme Operations Group developed an implementation plan framework to capture key information for each objective, identify lead coordinators and map activities against objectives. 4.3 The attendees divided into four groups, each considering specific areas for action identified in the national strategy. The groups were invited to provide input on the suitability of the proposed implementation plan framework as an aid to strategic advice, comment on whether the objectives being presented were suitable to progress the recommendations of the national strategy over the current funding action over the proposed timescales, and identify other activities contributing to the objectives. 4.3 The SAB agreed that the proposed implementation framework was a useful aid to strategic advice, but requested that the Programme Operations Group make some further modifications to the framework to include additional information on milestones, progress and monitoring activities. The SAB also requested that the Programme Operations Group consider producing a simplified version of the implementation plan in order to aid the SAB in tracking progress against objectives and highlight any changes over time. 4.4 The SAB agreed that the modified implementation plan should be shared with SAB members to enable further discussion in advance of the next SAB meeting on 25 November 2015. 4.5 The SAB agreed that a review of progress against the implementation plan should be introduced as a standing agenda item at future Board meetings. 5. Strategy for Ministerial Engagement 5.1 The attendees discussed plans for engaging with government ministers and maintaining the visibility of the National Programme. The Chair opened the session by inviting Lesley Thompson, Sue Armfield, and Hub Directors to update attendees on recent events that had been attended by ministers. 5.2 The attendees shared information on a number of upcoming events and communication activities that were likely to attract interest in the National Programme. 5.3 The SAB requested that the Programme Communications Group develop a brief document to summarise the vision and key objectives of the National Programme. 6. Development of the National Programme 6.1 The Chair opened the session by inviting attendees to consider key success features for the National Programme and the measures of progress that could be demonstrated after 1-2 years of its establishment. 6.2 Attendees noted the importance of the development of demonstrator programmes and the presence of world-leading capability and skills provision in the UK, as well as 4 P age
highlighting the growth of interest in quantum technologies within the wider research community and growing industrial confidence (including inward investment) resulting from the investment that had been made. Attendees also highlighted the importance of the on-going capability mapping activity. 6.3 Attendees noted that it may be helpful to study the development of earlier technologies, such as photonics, as these may provide the basis for useful indicators/metrics for success and future projections. Attendees noted the importance of articulating the opportunities that result from the unpredictable nature of technology development and identifying suitable indicators/narratives to demonstrate the benefits of investment in emerging technologies. 6.4 Attendees discussed the expected timing and format of the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review. The SAB agreed to hold an additional meeting in January 2015 to discuss this once further information was known. 7. A.O.B. 7.1 No items were raised. The next SAB meeting will be held on 25 November 2015. Richard Gunn 24 July 2015 5 P age