Earlier this week we had the honour of hosting Baroness Poppy Gustafsson, Minister of State for Investment along with her team at Harwell Campus.

The Minister was met by members of the joint venture including Dr Barbara Ghinelli, Director, Innovation Clusters and Harwell Campus, UKRI-STFC, Dave Newbold Executive Director of National Facilities, Dan Pagella, Director of Asset Management at Harwell along with managing directors from Brookfield. She received an overview of the campus before heading out on tours of the world leading collection of national facilities at Harwell, to understand more about their role in driving economic growth.

Baroness Gustafsson started the visited at the recently opened National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC), set up support the development of quantum hardware, software, and applications. Quantum technology has the power to tackle complex challenges like optimising the NHS, enhancing cybersecurity, and improving safety in the public realm.

Najwa Sidqi is the Manager of the Harwell Campus Quantum Cluster said: “The NQCC represents a significant investment in the UK’s quantum future, and Harwell was selected as its location due to its secure environment and the presence of critical research assets. We recognise the transformative potential of quantum technology to drive economic growth, and we are committed to ensuring a strong return on investment by focusing on skills development and fostering collaborations across the sector.”

The Minister went on to visit the Extreme Photonics Applications Centre (EPAC) which is due to open in 2026 – and will house powerful lasers which produce high resolution images to support industry in areas such as identifying miniscule defects in parts such as aircraft wings. The facility will have the potential to open-up new territory in scientific research and technological innovation in Britain.

The Minister concluded the tour of Harwell with a roundtable discussion with key commercial organisations based at Harwell, which provided an invaluable platform for Infleqtion, Etcembly, Oxford Dynamics, Moderna, Agilent and Astroscale to explore how the UK can continue to attract world-leading investment in science and technology.

Participants talked about the unique ecosystem at Harwell, and how Harwell’s four clusters, (Life Sciences, Space, Energy and Quantum) create low risk environment to do high-risk things, providing all the ingredients science and tech businesses need to achieve ambitious and high-impact goals — national facilities, the knowledge to use them, and business support driving growth and global competitiveness.

During her visit the team were able to highlight the critical role Harwell plays in advancing the UK’s position as a global leader in science, innovation, and investment and how international partnerships act as a catalyst for transformative breakthroughs in science and technology.

Baroness Gustafsson was joined by Professor Julia Sutcliffe (Department for Business and Trade, Chief Scientific Advisor), Isini Abeysekera (International lnvestment Officer, Office for Investment), Jack Hanson (Private Secretary to Baroness Gustafsson) and John Staples (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Director, Nuclear & Fusion).