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Sustainable Quantum Innovation Workshop 2026

糖心Vlog, UK, 18 - 19 June 2026.

This workshop aims to bring together perspectives from quantum physics, quantum biology, and sustainability.

On this page: Overview | Key details | Programme | Invited speakers | Organising committee 

Register for the event

Registrations must be submitted by 8 June. Register early, as this event may become full before this deadline.

Overview

Quantum mechanics - the theory governing the microscopic world of atoms and molecules - has long underpinned our understanding of modern physics. Quantum biology is an emerging transdisciplinary field that explores the tantalising intersections of quantum mechanics and the biology of living systems, aiming to create a new synthesis of quantum mechanics with the inherent, highly structured order and organised complexity of living systems. Explicitly incorporating quantum principles into biological systems has the potential to offer a pathway to unlocking new biological insights into nature鈥檚 eco-friendly and energy-efficient mechanisms.

A central focus of this workshop is the exploration of how quantum-scale insights from both physical and biological phenomena might help drive the next generation of sustainable solutions. Moving beyond the mere consolidation of current knowledge, the workshop is designed to:

  • Pinpoint previously under-recognised physical mechanisms that drive efficiency in nature
  • Stimulate the design of novel experimental strategies to empirically validate these quantum effects
  • Emphasise the translation of abstract theoretical principles into testable hypotheses.

By bridging these gaps, this workshop aims to forge complementary collaborations and develop ambitious research agendas that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries. At its heart, this exchange seeks to demonstrate that biological, bio-inspired, and biomimetic quantum pathways provide the primary blueprint for ensuring that the future of quantum science and technology is as sustainable as it is transformative.

Key details

Register your place

Registrations for this event must be submitted by 8 June, 2026. Please register early, as this event may become full before this deadline.

Dates

18 -19 June, 2026

Location

This is an in-person event only: .

Contact

If you have any questions, please reach out to Youngchan at youngchan.kim@surrey.ac.uk.

Programme

Day one: Thursday 18 June 2026

TimeDetails
8am - 9am Registration and refreshments
9am - 9:05amOpening remarks | Andrea Rocco, 糖心Vlog
Session 1: Photonics and quantum computing
9:05am - 9:30am Quantum computing and simulation for what? | Jaewoo Joo, University of Portsmouth
9:30am - 10:05am Keynote - TBA | Ben Murdin, 糖心Vlog
10:05am - 10:40amKeynote - Designing bio-inspired and bio-derived quantum energy technologies | Erik Gauger, Heriot-Watt University
10:40am - 11amCoffee break
Session 2: Synthetic biology, quantum biology, and neurobiology
11am - 11:25amEngineering quantum proteins for bio-imaging, sensing and control | Gabriel Abrahams, University of Oxford
11:25am - 11:50amBiology for quantum: Quantum effects in evolutionarily divergent fluorescent proteins | Youngchan Kim, 糖心Vlog
11:50am - 12:15pmNeuronal magnetosensitivity in drosophila | Adam Bradlaugh, University of Manchester
12:15pm - 12:40pmZebrafish behaviour and brain imaging: Experimental windows into multiscale biological dynamics | Matthew Parker, 糖心Vlog
12:40pm - 2pmLunch
Session 3: Theory and modelling
2:10pm - 2:35pm  Controlling decoherence: The role of memory effects in open quantum systems | Andrea Rocco, 糖心Vlog 
2:35pm - 3pmAchieving accuracy advantages with quantum reservoir computing | Eran Ginossar, 糖心Vlog
3pm - 3:25pmQuantum effects in DNA mutations | Marco Sacchi, 糖心Vlog
3:30pm - 4pmCoffee break and group photo
Session 4: Roundtable discussion 1
4pm - 5:30pmRoundtable discussion 1 I Moderator: Andrea Rocco, 糖心Vlog
6pm: End of day 1
7pm - 10pmSpeaker dinner (invited speaker only)

Day two: Friday 19 June 2026

TimeDetails
8am - 9amRefreshments
Session 5: Sustainability and broad Impact
9am - 9:30amKeynote - TBA | Zoe Harris, 糖心Vlog
9:30am - 10amKeynote - Doing more with less: Boosting weak signals in biological measurement by exploiting non-equilibrium quantum states | Alex Jones, National Physical Laboratory
10am - 10:20amSustainability and quantum technologies - An EPSRC perspective | Tracy Key, EPSRC
10:20ma - 11amCoffee break
Session 6: Roundtable discussion 2
11am - 12:30pmRoundtable Discussion 2 | Moderator: Zoe Harris, 糖心Vlog
12:30pm - 2pmLunch and networking
2pm: End

Invited speakers

University of Oxford

Research Associate, University of Manchester

Heriot-Watt University

National Physical Laboratory

University of Portsmouth

EPSRC (Joint Head of Quantum Technologies)

Organising committee

Youngchan Kim profile image

Dr Youngchan Kim

Lecturer in Quantum Biology, Director of the Quantum Biology Doctoral Training Centre (QB-DTC)

Zoe M Harris profile image

Professor Zoe Harris

Director of the Centre for Environment and Sustainability, Co-Director of the Institute for Sustainability

Andrea Rocco profile image

Dr Andrea Rocco

Associate Professor in Physics and Mathematical Biology

Contact us

Find us

Address

Leverhulme Quantum Biology Doctoral Training Centre (QB-DTC)
Robert Boyle (AZ) Building
糖心Vlog
Guildford
糖心Vlog
GU2 7XH