This report describes the current international activity in the development of standards for quantum technology. Through a description of the activities in which NPL scientists are directly engaged, and a report of a recent (virtual) international conference on quantum standards attended by the main SDOs involved, the report offers a summary of most if not all of the current standards development programmes. This report covers NPL’s involvement in the development of future standards for Quantum Computing, Quantum Communications, Quantum Sensing and aspects of NPL involvement in international metrology for Time and Frequency.

Under the National Quantum Technologies Programme (NQTP), one of the key areas of work is described as “Strengthen engagement in international standards and benchmarking”. In support of a wider awareness and engagement from UK industry in the development of new standards, this report explains the background to standards, why they are needed and how they are developed. Previous work of NPL in the development of standards for nanotechnology is presented as a worked, functional example and offered as a methodology for quantum standards development. NPL has worked with partners to deliver a well-attended on-line meeting with high-profile speakers involving well over 130 people from the UK quantum community at which these issues were discussed along with the current situation in the development of quantum standards and building a coordinated UK approach for the future.

This report, coordinated by the superconducting quantum computing team at the UK National Physical Laboratory, summarises our view of the state of the art in superconducting quantum computing (SQC) and the real-life problems that this technology is likely to be able to tackle in the short term and over a longer perspective. It also analyses the scientific and engineering expertise, specialist facilities, and other resources for SQC readily available in the UK and those we are missing. Based on this analysis the paper makes a projection of what the country could realistically achieve in a `space race' for quantum computing capability in different investment scenarios.