thequantuminsider.com
Sep 21, 2026
New Sandpit Program Targets Quantum Silicon Photonics Platforms
AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication
CORNERSTONE, the University of Southampton’s silicon photonics foundry, has launched the C‑PIC Future Leaders sandpit, inviting interdisciplinary teams to develop quantum‑ready silicon‑photonics platforms. The three‑day event runs 12‑14 January 2027 at the De Vere Horsley Estate, offering £750,000 in seed funding for pitch‑stage ideas. Eligible early‑ or mid‑career researchers may later submit full proposals up to £250,000. Applications open 21 September, close 27 November, with the program partnering the Integrated Quantum Networks and Quantum Biomedical Sensing hubs to boost UK quantum innovation.
💡 Why It Matters
- · By uniting quantum scientists, photonics engineers, and biomedicine experts, the sandpit accelerates the creation of scalable silicon‑based quantum hardware, a critical step toward commercial quantum communications and sensing.
