King’s College London gains access to Google Quantum AI’s Willow processor The National Quantum Computing Centre and Google Quantum AI have selected a King’s-led research project to use Willow for work connecting quantum computing and computational neuroscience. King’s College London has been awarded access to Google Quantum AI’s Willow processor through a joint initiative with the National Quantum Computing Centre, giving a UK-led university research team access to quantum hardware for work on neural systems and quantum dynamics. The project is led by Dr Eleanor Crane, Quantum Computing Lecturer at King’s College London, and Dr Alexander Schuckert from ENS Paris. The team will work with Dr Chris Timmermann, Co-Director of the UCL Centre for Consciousness Research, to study quantum analogues of neurons using the Willow processor. The National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) and Google Quantum AI announced the award on 28 May 2026. The call for proposals was launched in December 2025 to support UK researchers and research consortia working on applications that could accelerate progress toward useful quantum advantage. Useful quantum advantage is the point at which quantum computers can solve certain problems of practical relevance faster than today’s most powerful classical systems. According to the NQCC press release, this is the first time Google has partnered with a British government institution to provide access to the Willow processor. The King’s College London team will now work with experts from Google Quantum AI to design and run experiments on Willow, while the NQCC will provide technical support throughout the project. King’s project selected for Willow access The selected project will investigate quantum analogues of neurons and explore how quantum computing techniques could support the study of complex quantum dynamics inspired by neural systems. Crane and Schuckert also co-lead a finalist team in the Google XPRIZE Quantum Applications challenge. King’s