Scottish firm awarded historic investment into quantum technology

Skylark Lasers, has been awarded £2.34m in investment from Innovate UK to help develop the next generation quantum-enabled navigation and time-keeping systems.

The leading [Edinburgh-based] photonics company has been awarded almost 10 per cent of the £25m total funding available from Innovate UK’s Quantum-Enabled positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition fund.

The money will be invested in establishing and scaling the production of quantum gravity sensors to accelerate advancements in the autonomous navigation of shipping vessels and provide next-generation navigational precision to tankers on the open seas, where GPS and satellite navigation are poor.

Skylark Lasers is leading the UK’s efforts to commercialise business-led inventions in the quantum technology market. The photonics company has secured the largest single amount awarded for quantum investment in Scotland to date.

Commenting on the funding win, Dr. Ben Szutor, CEO at Skylark Lasers, said: “We are excited to continue our development efforts within the fields of quantum technologies. This is a milestone moment for Skylark Lasers as this new funding will enable the full-scale commercialisation of our quantum portfolio.

“These innovations have the potential to revolutionise the ship & rail navigation, civil engineering, and underground resource exploration sectors which will have a significant influence on global supply chain efficiencies.

“Scotland is at the forefront of worldwide laser innovation and this funding will further excel Skylark Lasers as a pioneer in the development of quantum technologies, and allow us to grow the business in the coming years.”

Skylark Lasers’ significant contribution to the realization of PNT sensors is the delivery of a portable, near-infrared laser system that will be integrated into a miniature gravity sensor working with both academic and industrial partners.

Professor Derryck T Reid from Heriot-Watt University commented: “We are looking forward to working with Skylark Lasers on this exciting opportunity and to apply our new diode-pumped Ti:sapphire ultrafast laser technology that will enable the next generation of quantum sensors.”

Skylark Lasers is an agile photonics company that specialises in the design and manufacture of ultra-reliable, high-performance, single-frequency DPSS lasers. It recently appointed Dr. Ben Szutor as its new CEO, to lead the business and guide its long-term growth vision.

Alastair Moore, senior investment manager at Par Equity, said: “It’s brilliant to see Skylark Lasers recognised as one of the most innovative companies in the UK’s quantum technology ecosystem through the award of this transformational grant.

Roger McKinlay, challenge director Quantum Technologies at Innovate UK, said: “We’re delighted to be helping Skylark Lasers build up their portfolio of high-performance quantum products for which there is growing customer demand. Here is evidence that the UK’s technical leadership is now being translated into real industrial capability”.

Kerry Sharp, director of entrepreneurship & investment at Scottish Enterprise, said: “Scotland is enjoying a growing reputation in photonics and Skylark Lasers is a fantastic example of a company that is leading the way in the industry, which is why Scottish Enterprise has been invested since 2017 and continues to support the company.”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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