Vision and Goals

The QAMSS logo with the areas it aims to make advances in indicated

Our vision

Quantum technologies and advanced materials are opening up new possibilities in science, technology and society. They have the potential to reshape how we process information, understand the world around us, develop new materials and technologies and respond to global challenges such as the transition to a sustainable society.

Realising that potential requires us to think beyond individual technologies and disciplines. As these developments move from the laboratory towards wider use, questions of sustainability, ethics, policy, business, culture and society become just as important as the underlying science.

Our vision is to strengthen Cambridge’s contribution to the development of quantum technologies and advanced materials, and to understanding their implications for a sustainable society.

Cambridge has significant expertise across these areas, but much of it sits within individual disciplines and research communities. QAMSS aims to create stronger, strategic connections between them, making it easier to identify shared opportunities, develop ambitious research and respond to major challenges with a broader range of expertise.

We also see an important role for dialogue between science and the arts. New technologies can change how we create, communicate and understand the world, while artistic perspectives can challenge assumptions and open up new ways of thinking about scientific and technological possibilities.
 

Our goals

QAMSS aims to:

  • Shape new research directions by identifying emerging opportunities at the intersection of quantum technologies, advanced materials and sustainability.
  • Enable ambitious interdisciplinary research that can address complex challenges beyond the scope of individual fields.
  • Strengthen Cambridge's leadership and influence, moving from a collection of outstanding research activities towards a more visible and coordinated presence in the field.
  • Develop lasting partnerships with leading research organisations, industry, policymakers and international networks.
  • Support responsible innovation, considering the environmental, ethical, economic, cultural and societal implications of new technologies.
  • Create dialogue between science and the arts, using different ways of thinking and creating to explore what emerging technologies could mean for society.
  • Position Cambridge to lead major opportunities, including large-scale research programmes and international collaborations that can have significant scientific and societal impact.

Ultimately, QAMSS seeks to ensure that Cambridge's strength in quantum technologies and advanced materials is greater than the sum of its parts — and that this strength can contribute meaningfully to a more sustainable future.