Lumino Wins Innovate UK–Funded QNET-EPS Project to Advance Next-Generation Entangled Photon Sources
Lumino Technologies, a UK company specialising in free space quantum and optical communications, has kicked off a project developing the next generation of Entangled Photon Sources (EPS), a key technology that underpins the future of secure quantum communication.
QNET-EPS is an Innovate UK–funded project led by Lumino, working with a consortium of academic and industry partners including Alter, Redwave, Vodafone and Heriot-Watt University .
Entangled photons are pairs of light particles whose properties remain linked, even when separated by large distances. Harnessing this phenomenon will make it possible to build ultra-secure communication networks, as well as new scientific and technological applications in space and on Earth.
The investment for quantum technology was announced on World Quantum Day by Secretary of State for Science and Technology, Peter Kyle and secured as part of the Innovate UK Quantum Mission Pilot Competition. The project is in progress, with major milestones planned throughout 2025–2026
Omar Iqbal, Founder at Lumino Technologies, said, “Quantum technologies are expected to transform communications, defence, and information security in the coming decades. By investing in EPS development today, the UK is positioning itself at the forefront of this emerging field. QNET-EPS represents not just a technological milestone, but a strategic step toward building a resilient, sovereign quantum supply chain.”
Gary Cutts, Executive Director Digital and Technologies, Innovate UK said, “By 2035, the UK aims to have deployed the world’s most advanced quantum network at scale, pioneering the future quantum internet. This funding is designed to underpin that ambition and these innovative projects represent a leap forward on this journey – these are exciting and significant advances in the fields of Quantum Computing and Quantum Networks”.
Roger McKinlay, Challenge Director, Quantum Technologies, Innovate UK said, “The UK is one of the top countries in the world for creating and attracting quantum companies. Innovative technologies such as the ones receiving funding in this pilot will help to secure the UK’s position as a global leader in this transformative field.”
