Sustainable Quantum Innovation Workshop 2026

University of Surrey, 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’s 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: Innovation for Health Building (02 IFH 01), Stag Hill, University of Surrey.

Contact

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

Programme

Day one: Thursday 18 June 2026

Time	Details
8:00am - 9:30am	Registration and refreshments
9:30am - 9:35am	Opening remarks \| Andrea Rocco, University of Surrey
Session 1: Photonics and quantum computing
9:35am - 10am	Quantum computing and simulation for what? \| Jaewoo Joo, University of Portsmouth
10:00am - 10:35am	Keynote - TBA \| Ben Murdin, University of Surrey
10:35am - 11:10am	Keynote - Designing bio-inspired and bio-derived quantum energy technologies \| Erik Gauger, Heriot-Watt University
11:10am - 11:30am	Coffee break
Session 2: Synthetic biology, quantum biology, and neurobiology
11:30am - 11:55am	Engineering quantum proteins for bio-imaging, sensing and control \| Gabriel Abrahams, University of Oxford
11:55am - 12:20pm	Biology for quantum: Quantum effects in evolutionarily divergent fluorescent proteins \| Youngchan Kim, University of Surrey
12:20pm - 12:45pm	Neuronal magnetosensitivity in drosophila \| Adam Bradlaugh, University of Manchester
12:45pm - 2pm	Lunch
Session 3: Theory and modelling
2:10pm - 2:35pm	Controlling decoherence: The role of memory effects in open quantum systems \| Andrea Rocco, University of Surrey
2:35pm - 3pm	Achieving accuracy advantages with quantum reservoir computing \| Eran Ginossar, University of Surrey
3pm - 3:25pm	Quantum effects in DNA mutations \| Marco Sacchi, University of Surrey
3:30pm - 4pm	Coffee break and group photo
Session 4: Roundtable discussion 1
4pm - 5:30pm	Roundtable discussion 1 I Moderator: Andrea Rocco, University of Surrey
6pm: End of day 1
7pm - 10pm	Speaker dinner (invited speaker only)

Day two: Friday 19 June 2026

Time	Details
8am - 9am	Refreshments
Session 5: Sustainability and broad Impact
9am - 9:30am	Keynote - TBA \| Zoe Harris, University of Surrey
9:30am - 10am	Keynote - Doing more with less: Boosting weak signals in biological measurement by exploiting non-equilibrium quantum states \| Alex Jones, National Physical Laboratory
10am - 10:20am	Zebrafish Behaviour and Brain Imaging: Experimental Windows into Multiscale Biological Dynamics \| Matthew Parker, University of Surrey
10:20am - 10:40am	Sustainability and quantum technologies - An EPSRC perspective \| Tracy Key, EPSRC
10:40am - 11:10am	Coffee break
Session 6: Roundtable discussion 2
11:10am - 12:30pm	Roundtable Discussion 2 \| Moderator: Zoe Harris, University of Surrey
12:30pm - 2pm	Lunch and networking
2pm: End