This is part 2 of the Securing the Future: UK's Quantum Computing Landscape and Investment Opportunities article. Read part 1.
With its strategic investments, infrastructure upgrades and commercial partnerships, the UK is laying the groundwork for quantum to reshape its economy, infrastructure and global competitiveness.
One of the most pressing challenges in the quantum era is the threat posed by quantum computers to classical cryptography. As quantum machines advance, they will have the capability to break the encryption that underpins the internet, posing a significant risk to digital security. This is where innovative solutions like those from our client Cavero Quantum come into play.
Case Study: Cavero Quantum
“At Cavero Quantum, we’re focused on one of the most urgent challenges in digital security: how to protect identities and data against both today’s fraud and tomorrow’s quantum computers,” says James Trenholme, CEO of Cavero Quantum. Their solution, Authentikey, tackles both current and future threats by providing a stronger, simpler way for people and devices to prove their identities while being quantum-safe.
Authentikey replaces outdated “locks and keys” with a lightweight but incredibly strong identity system. It gives each person or device a digital fingerprint that is nearly impossible to fake, even by the most advanced attackers. Because it is crypto-agile, Authentikey can easily adapt as new standards and technologies emerge, ensuring customers never get stuck with obsolete security. This means businesses can fight fraud today and be confident their defences will still hold when quantum computers arrive.
By building an ecosystem around a flexible, quantum-safe authentication platform, Cavero Quantum is helping industries worldwide fight fraud today while preparing them for tomorrow’s quantum era . Their business model, built around licensing and usage-based services, allows partners in finance, telecoms and critical infrastructure to integrate Authentikey directly into their platforms.
“Our mission is to help industries fight fraud today while preparing for tomorrow’s quantum era,” says James, “By building strong partnerships and a global ecosystem, we’re making sure digital trust survives the quantum leap.”
“Quantum computing is no longer science fiction, it’s science fact”
To celebrate 2025 being the UN’s International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, earlier this year Mills & Reeve in collaboration with Codex hosted an event Quantum: Computing with the full power of nature where industry pioneers, researchers and thought leaders delved into the transformative impact of quantum technology on science, industry and society. Some of our distinguished speakers share their views on what’s next for quantum computing.
“Useful quantum computing is approaching fast. We are increasingly confident that we will see quantum advantage provably demonstrated in the next 12 months and have a clear engineering roadmap to deliver fault-tolerant quantum computing by 2029. Somewhere in that timeline will be the first early examples of useful quantum computing, able to solve real world problems at a scale not achievable with classical compute alone. This is where we will start to see a return on investment. First movers in this space will be at a competitive advantage – but to be a first mover means starting on the quantum compute journey now – building knowledge, skills and expertise; identifying these early use cases and thinking about how to integrate quantum compute into existing business workflows. Quantum computing is no longer science fiction, it’s science fact.”
Adam Hammond FBCS, Business Leader, IBM Quantum – Europe, Middle East & Africa, IBM London
“We believe in helping the UK public and private sector realize benefits from quantum computing now, rather than in 5-10 years’ time. Investing in quantum computers that integrate smoothly with existing high-performance compute systems and AI Factories will give the UK ecosystem valuable early-mover advantage in a globally competitive sector.”
James Fletcher, Head of Solutions Architecture, ORCA Computing
"As we stand on the brink of a quantum revolution, it is imperative that we secure the UK's future by embracing and investing in quantum computing. The advancements in this field are not just about faster computations; they represent a fundamental shift in how we solve complex problems and secure our digital infrastructure.
Industry leaders, policymakers and investors need to recognise the critical importance of quantum computing and to support initiatives that drive innovation and secure our digital future. Together, we can build a resilient and competitive quantum ecosystem that not only addresses today's challenges but also prepares us for the opportunities of tomorrow”.
Paul Knight, Technology and Commercial Law Partner, Mills & Reeve
Our content explained
Every piece of content we create is correct on the date it’s published but please don’t rely on it as legal advice. If you’d like to speak to us about your own legal requirements, please contact one of our expert lawyers.