Insider Brief
- Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) has released a roadmap targeting 200 logical qubits by 2028 and 50,000 by 2034, aiming to lead the global race toward fault-tolerant, commercially viable quantum computing.
- The roadmap outlines a transition from physical to logical qubits, with OQC claiming a 10x advantage in physical-to-logical qubit efficiency over current approaches and high-fidelity gate speeds critical for scaling.
- Projected applications include fraud detection, cybersecurity, drug discovery, and quantum chemistry, with a focus on early commercial impact in finance, defence, and national security.
PRESS RELEASE — Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC), a UK quantum computing company, today published a roadmap demonstrating that it is at the front of the global race to build fault-tolerant quantum computers with widespread commercial applications.
The roadmap shows OQC is on track to provide by 2028 viable quantum computers which will have significant implications for cybersecurity, and by 2034 quantum technologies that will transform entire sectors, with particular commercial advantages for financial services, security and defence.
Gerald Mullally, Interim CEO of OQC, said: “This roadmap is a landmark for quantum computing, in the UK and globally. It shows that the moment when quantum computing begins to transform people’s lives is closer than many realise. This underlines the urgency with which organisations, in particular in financial services and national security, should work out their plan for a quantum-transformed world. I’m proud of what our very talented team is achieving, putting the UK at the forefront of a critically important global race to build the quantum computers that will shape our security and prosperity.”
The roadmap is based on the transition in quantum computing beyond the “physical era” — where the capabilities of a quantum computer were defined by the number of noisy and faulty physical qubits, before they’re corrected for errors — to the “logical era” — where the capabilities of a quantum computer are defined by the number of logical qubits, after they’ve been corrected for errors.
OQC’s roadmap, built on groundbreaking peer-reviewed research, shows that its quantum computers will reach 200 logical qubits by 2028 – positioning OQC, a UK university spin-out, ahead of leading quantum computing providers, including the global technology companies engaged in the race to build viable quantum computers. At 200 logical qubits, quantum computers will unlock new capabilities in fraud detection, arbitrage, cyber threat detection, and vulnerability analysis.
By 2034, the roadmap shows that OQC’s computers will reach 50,000 logical qubits, more than 10 times the highest level reached in published roadmaps for other quantum computing providers. At 50,000 qubits, the applications of quantum computers include decryption, drug discovery, and quantum chemistry. The roadmap also includes an Application Optimised Compute strategy—systems specifically engineered for the first applications where quantum provides advantage.
With their ability to create high-fidelity, logical qubits, OQC’s scalable systems will surpass the computational performance of today’s most powerful supercomputers on valuable problems. OQC’s technology approach requires far fewer physical qubits to generate each error-corrected logical qubit, giving a significant advantage as the quantum computers scale. The “resource ratio” of physical qubits to logical qubits is ten times lower for OQC’s hardware than for today’s state-of-the-art approaches, which require tens or even hundreds of physical qubits for each error-corrected logical qubit.
OQC’s hardware is positioned to outperform competing superconducting systems, as well as other quantum modalities, delivering higher quality results more quickly. At a 99.8% two-qubit fidelity in just 25 billionths of a second, it is among the fastest and most accurate gates ever recorded. Quantum computers with faster gate speeds can run more complex algorithms and are crucial to scaling the machines for commercial advantage.
Steve Brierley, CEO of Riverlane, commented: “It’s great to see a UK champion putting forward such a bold vision for the future of quantum computing. As the global race to build useful quantum computers intensifies, OQC’s roadmap is a clear statement of intent and a reminder that the UK can lead on the world stage. Delivering on this vision would mark a breakthrough moment that brings fault-tolerant quantum systems closer to transforming real-world sectors, from financial services to national security.”
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