The Quantum Collective - Keith Norman

The Quantum Collective - The people behind the science

Keith Norman is a Technology Associate in the Hub's User Engagement team. He holds a PhD in Particle Physics, for which he carried out research at CERN. He has spent the last 25 years in consultancy roles in industry, most recently having worked for Capgemini Engineering, where he was Sales Director for a team developing AI and Machine Learning services for R&D. 

What are you currently working on?

I’m finishing off my contribution to a report on the state of quantum computing globally – this is part two of a report that we issued last year, looking at international funding for quantum computing research. Some countries are very open about what they are doing and where they are investing, and it’s good to see more national strategic programmes appearing. 

Now that the UK Quantum Strategy has been published, I’ve recently been collating our feedback on commercialising quantum technologies. Overall, I think the UK is in a very strong position globally, and the new strategy is good, but there are a few areas that as a country we need to keep an eye on. For example, our supply chain for quantum technologies is patchy in some key areas, and as a community we need to work hard to ensure that the UK remains attractive to both quantum startups and established commercial organisations.

Outside of work, there’s a variety of mountain, road and gravel bikes in my shed that need fettling.

Describe a typical day

If I’m feeling energetic, I’ll cycle into Oxford (about 35 miles for the round trip). In User Engagement, we seem to be in a community that likes to send emails late at night, so there is generally a bit of catching up to do first thing. Most days have at least a couple of meetings with people outside of the academic world, either somebody from a commercial organisation who is interested in quantum computing, or sometimes people from other UK bodies like the NQCC, and of course there is increasing interest from other countries. 

Often, I’ll be out of the office at an event. We are a small team in User Engagement, and so we have to take a careful view on which events are most appropriate for us to attend or present at, but every few weeks one or the other of us will be representing the QCS Hub at an external event.

We have our own programme of events and reports that we work on, sometimes in collaboration with other organisations. We keep in contact with the Institute for Manufacturing, with whom we wrote a white paper on the impact of quantum computing on business processes – that was an interesting piece of work for me personally, as the economists at the IfM brought an interesting perspective.

If you had an entire day at your disposal (not at work), what would be your ideal way to spend it?

Mrs Norman and I have quite a big extended family, with ages from 4 to 84, so there is usually some form of entertainment to be found with them – sometimes involving bikes for those who like two wheels.

What is your favourite place or thing about working in Oxford?

I’ve lived in the area for thirty years, and I’m still finding surprises in Oxford. For example, there’s a famous painting by Holman Hunt called The Light Of The World in St Paul’s Cathedral in London – look it up, and I bet you’ll recognise it. A few weeks ago, I discovered that the original version is hanging on a wall in Keble College Chapel, just opposite our office. Who knew? Down the road, there’s a blackboard with Einstein’s handwriting on it. One floor down from my desk, there’s a battery-powered electric bell that’s been ringing constantly for 180 years. Oxford’s a real treasure trove.

Plan B: what would you be if you weren’t doing the job you are currently doing?

I’m still a bit surprised that they still haven’t asked me to be the next Doctor Who.

What discovery would you like to see in your lifetime?

We need to find new ways to feed the hungry and lift people out of poverty, and it would be wonderful if quantum technologies could contribute to that. That, and potato crisps that make you thin.