As we approach the end of 2022, Quantum Science has never found itself in a stronger position. This year has been one of major significance for the company; from announcing our exciting achievements in lead-free quantum dot material synthesis in April, to our new distribution agreement in Japan, Quantum Science is rapidly becoming noted as a global leader in the nanomaterials field.
But we have not got here without help.
Since January, Quantum Science has been working closely with Innovate UK EDGE as part of its Scaleup Programme. Innovate UK EDGE is a publicly funded service available to innovation-driven companies that empowers them to develop and achieve their objectives. Its Scaleup Programme provides practical support and advice, as well as access to much-needed resources and opportunities for businesses to develop their teams. The goal is to create the right conditions for each business to succeed, and share the benefits of their innovations with a wider international audience.
At the heart of the Innovate UK EDGE’s Scaleup Programme is a team of scaleup directors. These experts work with participating companies to create a bespoke development strategy that draw on their combined skills; helping the companies with areas from exploiting business innovation, to sourcing funding and opening new markets.
In October, the Quantum Science team was delighted to attend the annual Innovate UK EDGE conference at the Sage Gateshead in Newcastle, which brings Innovate UK EDGE innovation and growth specialists and scaleup directors together from across the UK. As part of the event, we took part in a roundtable discussion with four other companies and their Innovate UK EDGE scaleup directors, during which we had the chance to discuss the challenges and successes these companies have seen over the last year.
It was incredible to hear about the impacts that the other companies on the Scaleup Programme have achieved this year – and to share our own experiences with them.
Joining the Scaleup Programme gave Quantum Science access to a vast array of professional knowledge and experience. The partnership has helped us scale up our business across the board, with improvements in areas including reactor design, stage gate process, product launch, marketing and IP support. Having received several Innovate UK awards, we have also been able to share in their expertise, which has helped push Quantum Science to where it finds itself today.
Without Innovate UK we would not have been able to run the Analysis for Innovators (A4i) programme, which utilised their expertise and advanced equipment to help us understand our own products better. This advanced our product development and positioned us competitively in the market. More recently, Quantum Science won a Knowledge Transfer Partnership Award too with Innovate UK’s help, alongside the University of Glasgow, which will give us more knowledge around device fabrication and semiconductor manufacturing processes.
This support has been critical as Quantum Science’s international profile continues to grow, with our market-leading position meaning we cannot afford to make mistakes or significant changes as we expand. Everyone in our team feels they have learned a lot from Innovate UK, and their priceless knowledge and experience have been great assets to us to become a more professional, unified and effective deliverable team.
Attending the Innovate UK EDGE conference was a great experience for everyone at Quantum Science. We thoroughly enjoyed the chance to share our views with other developing businesses and learn from other experts in their fields, and are beyond grateful with how Quantum Science has been supported by the Innovate UK team.
For more information about Quantum Science Ltd and its INFIQ® QD technology, please visit www.quantumscis.com.