This summer, Scotland played host to the Quantum Fringe Festival (QF25) - the UK’s largest series of quantum-focused events marking the UNESCO International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ). Led by the University of Edinburgh’s Quantum Software Lab (QSL) in partnership with the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC), the festival brought together researchers, students, industry leaders, and the public to explore the transformative potential of quantum technologies. Spanning 16 events across June and July, QF25 took inspiration from the open-access spirit of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Its diverse programme included hackathons, summer schools, public lectures, scientific workshops, and forums - all designed to make quantum science more accessible and relevant to society. Festival highlights UK Quantum Hackathon Now in its fourth year, the UK Quantum Hackathon is the NQCCs flagship annual event. It challenges teams of students and early career researchers to solve real-world problems in areas as diverse as healthcare, energy and engineering, using quantum computing. This year’s winning team, responding to a challenge from Aioi R&D Lab, developed a quantum-powered road maintenance scheduling tool that considered the needs of all road users - earning praise for its ethical and inclusive approach. As Sir Peter Knight, co-chair of the IYQ Steering Committee, noted during the hackathon: “It’s truly impressive to see what you have achieved in just two days.” Scientific Collaboration QF25 also hosted a range of technical events designed to spark dialogue and advance research at the cutting edge of the field. AIMday Quantum Computing connected industry challenges with academic expertise, fostering practical solutions and new partnerships. A two-day Quantum Cyber Security Workshop brought researchers together to explore post-quantum cryptographic applications. The third edition of the Foundations in Quantum Computing workshop created a space for researchers and practitioners to exchange ideas on the fundamental aspects of quantum computing, encouraging cross-disciplinary conversations and collaboration. The Quantum Algorithms and Complexity Workshop was also a highlight, bringing together learning experts and pioneering researchers to share the latest insights and breakthroughs in the field, targeted at early career researchers and PhD students. Youth Engagement | Young Quantum Researchers Summer School The Young Quantum Researchers Summer School, hosted at the University of Edinburgh’s Informatics Forum, introduced senior secondary school students from across Edinburgh to the fundamentals of quantum computing and life as a researcher. Over the two days, participants took part in lectures from Quantum Software Lab members and gained experience in hands-on coding sessions. It provided the perfect chance to gain both technical insights, and a taste of future career pathways in quantum science. Public Outreach Attended by over 200 people, a lecture and panel discussion hosted by the new Quantum Computing via Integrated and Interconnected Implementations (QCi3) Hub explored the evolution of quantum science, shared current breakthroughs and discussed its future impact across technology, industry, and society. An interactive ‘Democratising Quantum’ forum event hosted by Quantinuum brought together researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders to explore how the quantum revolution can be developed inclusively and for the public good. The event tackled questions of ethics, equity, and long-term impact, with discussions ranging from responsible research to regulation and investment. Speakers included Ilyas Khan (Founder of Quantinuum), Dr Mina Doosti (University of Edinburgh, Quantum Software Lab) and Dr Oliver Brown (EPCC, University of Edinburgh), who each offered perspectives on steering quantum technologies toward transparency, accessibility and societal benefit. Responsible Innovation A dedicated interactive workshop on ethical quantum development, hosted by QCi3 and led by Oxford’s Responsible Research and Innovation Team, emphasised the importance of ethics, inclusivity and societal benefit at the heart of quantum research, encouraging participants to consider the broader impacts of quantum technologies on policy and society A Milestone for the Quantum Software Lab QF25 also marked the second anniversary of the Quantum Software Lab (QSL), celebrating its growing impact on the UK’s quantum ecosystem. The Lab showcased its contributions to the NQCC’s testbed programme, which recently received £21 million in government funding. These contributions span cybersecurity, quantum communication, algorithms, verification, and distributed quantum computing - all aimed at accelerating practical quantum applications. QSL is committed to developing talent and skills for the future with recent EPSRC Quantum Technology Career Acceleration Fellowships awarded to QSL researchers. The University of Edinburgh will also host the new Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Quantum Informatics, training over 60 students in the next five years. Our founding principle at the Quantum Software Lab has always been that a complete ecosystem is required to develop a truly useful quantum application. The Quantum Fringe festival was the magnificent realisation of this vision. To see everyone from senior school students to pioneers of the field and industry leaders come together was remarkable. We have successfully created an interconnected space for collaboration, strengthening the UK’s quantum community and accelerating our collective journey towards delivering real-world quantum utility. Elham Kashefi Director of the Quantum Software Lab and NQCC’s Chief Scientist Looking Ahead The success of QF25 has inspired new initiatives, including the QSL Visiting Scholars scheme, which invites leading researchers from other institutions to collaborate in Edinburgh.Quantum Fringe 2025 SponsorsPlantinum sponsor: Quantinuum Community sponsors: IoP, IQN Hub, QC13 Hub, Input Output (IOHK), Edinburgh Innovations, Intralink Related links View the full Quantum Fringe 2025 Programme of Events About the Quantum Software Lab Aioi R&D Lab Oxford Publication date 04 Oct, 2025
