The day-to-day management is led by our leadership team. With the support of the partners they pave the way for our global network of cross-disciplinary researchers to link novel technologies with solutions to improve life for so many people.
Professor Kai Bongs, PI, is responsible for the operation of the network, acts as primary contact point for EPSRC and provides an oversight on the quantum technology workshops.
Kai is Chair in Cold atoms and Director of Innovation for the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. Kai has over 25 years of experience in quantum technology research with more than 100 publications, 10,000 citations and an h-index of 46 (Google Scholar, Sept. 2021). His leadership in quantum devices for applications has been recognised by a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award and the Denis Gabor Medal and Price by IOP. Kai has extensive experience in leadership of multidisciplinary and international research collaborations, including coordinator roles in EU projects FACT, iSense, QSense and as PI of the UK National Quantum Technology Hub in Sensors and Timing, having 40 Co-Investigators. Having served as EDI chair for the School of Physics and Astronomy, on the EPSRC oversight committee for the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) activity in Quantum Technologies and having led two DSTL contracts in Quantum Sensors and Timing, Kai is acutely aware of the requirements in running research in a responsible and trusted fashion while fostering equality, diversity and integration. He is also a member of the British Standards Institution (BSI) committee ICT/1/1/2 “Quantum technologies, linking to the planned work on developing standardised procedures for trial and validation activities for quantum sensor and timing devices.
Professor Nicole Metje, CI, oversees the trials and validation programme and provides oversight on the application side of the programme. Nicole is Director (Sensors) & CI of £21.6m UKCRIC National Buried Infrastructure Facility (NBIF) and Head of Enterprise, Engagement and Impact in the School of Engineering. She is CI for the UK National Quantum Technology Hub in Sensors and Timing, co-leading the Geophysics work package focussing on trials and end-user engagement and a large portfolio of underground monitoring EPSRC, ISCF and IUK projects with a total grant volume of >£140M. Nicole has extensive experience in using a range of sensing technologies to look through the ground with particular links to INSTA-QT in detecting freshwater losses and underground water. She leads the UK’s contribution to the ASCE Utility Standards & the US Transportation Research Board Utility Committees, is the only academic on the BSI’s PAS128 and PAS256 Steering Committees, is a member of the Geospatial Committee’s National Underground Asset Register and a member of the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineers Utilities and Subsurface Mapping Panel. She is also a member of the Institution of Civil Engineer’s Municipal Expert & Geospatial Engineering Panels and won the Street Work 2017 and 2018 ICE West Midlands Overall Winner awards for the FINDIT project and won the ICE’s Research and Studies award in 2019 for QT-PRI.
Joanna Fletcher, Executive Administrator, has a proven track record of managing international and multidisciplinary networks, knowledge transfer and IP processes and delivering results against key performance measures and budgets timely and accurately. Joanna provides overarching coordination for the workshop programme and will run the competition and oversight of the visits and trials programme. She is responsible for establishing new augmented-reality technology for virtual laboratory visits and seamless and trusted virtual delivery of lab visits and workshops to the entire UK community.