Through a series of dedicated workshops, we are building lasting international and multidisciplinary collaborations, the trust and understanding needed to effectively work together. We work closely with international experts to assess the potential of quantum technologies in addressing UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and United Kingdom Global Challenges Programme.
Our workshops bring UK researchers into contact with researchers in developing countries to understand what the real needs are and to build lasting multinational collaborations. Each workshop is delivered in a sustainable and low-carbon way. We host 20-30 experts local to the host, 3 international visitors and an open number of virtual participants, which we expect to average to 50-60. We also use augmented reality equipment, allowing an immersive experience of virtual participants and enabling them to engage in individual discussions.
As part of the INSTA QT we are planning the following workshops:
Workshop series on SDG 1, No poverty: Natural disasters
This goal includes the reduction of exposure to natural disasters. We will link UK quantum researchers to experts in natural disasters in Mexico and Thailand. This will include working with the Centre for Quantum Technologies, Singapore, motivated by similar goals. Our aim is to establish a centre of excellence around an international network of quantum gravity sensors, making gravity data from diverse geographical locations available to the geophysics community.
Workshop series on SDG 2, Zero Hunger: floods, droughts, freshwater loss.
We will include geophysicists and link to researchers from Mexico Angola, Zimbabwe and Australia in order to discuss the challenges and needs in tackling compacted soil, floods, drought and freshwater loss from infrastructure. This will guide EPSRC UK quantum sensor development research and aim at the establishment of a long-term centre of excellence in collaboration between physicists, civil engineers and NERC researchers.
Workshop series on SDG 13, Climate Action: CO2 monitoring, energy
We will work with British Geological Survey, who are leading the UK GeoEnergy Testbed and carbon sequestration trials, sustainable development energy research experts from Thailand and Singapore to run a workshop series in how to achieve net zerocarbon and sustainable energy in developing countries. The aim of this activity is to enable the formation of a virtual centre of excellence in quantum technologies for sustainable energy
Workshop series on trials, validation and standardisation
Birmingham in relation to the National Buried infrastructure Facility and absolute gravimetry with BGS;
Strathclyde in relation to magnetometer trials with BGS;
NPL discussing clock and oscillator validation and linking to the radar testbed at Birmingham.
Workshops on technology developments
Nottingham, discussing magnetoencephalography applications and magnetometer developments;
Sussex, looking into battery monitoring for carbon-reduction by longevity enhancements;
Imperial College London on quantum sensor developments for navigation.