Great Western Railway has introduced new smart gatelines at Exeter Central, delivered by Vix Technology, as part of a broader effort to modernise passenger access and improve station flow. The deployment enables faster, more flexible journeys while supporting future-ready capabilities such as contactless payments. As Vix Technology continues to expand its presence in the UK rail sector, the installation highlights how digital, automated gate solutions can enhance both operati

Littlepay has been selected for Project Coral, a landmark national programme funded by the UK Department for Transport, aimed at enabling seamless contactless travel across multiple public transport operators. The initiative reflects growing momentum behind open-loop ticketing and interoperable payment systems, with a focus on simplifying fare collection and improving the passenger experience across fragmented networks. By supporting scalable, multi-operator solutions, the pr

Global markets have continued to navigate a complex and often contradictory environment in 2026, where strong headline index performance has coexisted with heightened volatility, geopolitical tension, and shifting policy expectations. This latest insight by ICM Limited explores how equities have reached new highs – including the MSCI World’s recent peak in April – despite material intra-period drawdowns and an evolving macro backdrop shaped by energy market disruption, renewe

As transport systems become more complex and digitally driven, the way technology is procured is evolving. In this latest insight, Vix Technology explores why traditional procurement approaches alone are no longer enough to guarantee successful outcomes. Drawing on decades of experience delivering fare collection and intelligent transport systems globally, the piece highlights the shift towards partnership-led models - where collaboration, flexibility, and shared objectives p

Diraq is taking a different approach to scaling quantum computing by building its technology to work directly with the same manufacturing processes used to produce everyday computer chips. This compatibility with standard CMOS fabrication means quantum processors can be developed using existing semiconductor infrastructure, rather than requiring entirely new systems. By aligning with proven chip-making technology, Diraq aims to make quantum hardware easier to produce, more re

Q-CTRL has been named to TIME’s inaugural list of 100 Industry Leaders for 2026, recognising its role in advancing the practical application of quantum technologies. Selected among the most influential companies shaping emerging “new frontiers,” the recognition highlights Q-CTRL’s progress in delivering real-world quantum solutions across defence and enterprise, from GPS-independent navigation systems to scalable quantum computing infrastructure. Read the full announcement he

ICM HPQC Fund's Q-CTRL and IonQ are advancing the practical performance of near-term quantum systems through the integration of Fire Opal with IonQ’s Forte processors. Rather than focusing on hardware scaling alone, the collaboration targets the algorithm–hardware interface, where noise, control errors and circuit inefficiencies typically degrade results. Fire Opal operates as a hardware-aware optimisation layer, automatically refining quantum circuits and execution parameter

Littlepay has helped bring contactless, tap-and-go payments to regional public transport across New South Wales, marking a key step in modernising how passengers access everyday travel. The completed rollout extends beyond major cities, enabling commuters across dozens of regional bus networks to pay using bank cards, mobile wallets or wearable devices—removing the need for cash or pre-purchased tickets. More broadly, the project highlights a shift in public transport systems

Diraq is pushing quantum computing beyond the lab by focusing on how it can be built and scaled in the real world. Rather than relying on specialised, experimental setups, its approach uses silicon-based qubits that can be manufactured using the same processes as conventional computer chips. This shift is important because it tackles one of the biggest challenges in quantum computing: moving from small, fragile systems to large, reliable machines. By using established semicon

ICM HPQC Fund's Q-CTRL and Equal1 are targeting a critical bottleneck in quantum computing adoption: the operational complexity of deploying and maintaining quantum systems at scale. Their collaboration integrates autonomous calibration and performance management directly into silicon-based quantum hardware, enabling systems to function with minimal human intervention. Rather than advancing qubit performance alone, the partnership focuses on system-level automation - embeddin

What happens when a civilisation becomes dependent on a single, irreplaceable input? In 1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed , Eric H. Cline describes how the disruption of tin supply chains contributed to the collapse of Bronze Age economies. Tin was scarce, difficult to transport, and essential. When supply faltered, entire systems built upon it began to unravel. Today, the global technology ecosystem faces a very different — yet curiously familiar — constraint. Artific

Join Diraq's CEO Andrew Dzurak from NVIDIA’s latest GTC 2026 session. Andrew highlights the accelerating convergence of AI infrastructure and next-generation computing architectures, with a clear focus on scaling performance to meet surging global demand. The discussion reinforces a central ICM HPQC Fund theme: that breakthroughs in compute are increasingly being driven not just by software, but by advances across the full hardware and systems stack - from chips to interconne

The escalation of conflict in the Middle East is now the dominant force shaping global markets, with energy supply disruption feeding directly into inflation expectations, bond yields and investor positioning. In this edition, we examine the implications of a sustained oil price shock, the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, and how markets are recalibrating in response. We also outline our current thinking on inflation versus growth, policy constraints, and the con

Q-CTRL and Anello Photonics have announced a strategic collaboration to advance resilient navigation for uncrewed aerial vehicles operating in GPS-denied environments. The partnership combines quantum sensing with advanced inertial navigation technologies to deliver highly accurate, robust positioning without reliance on GPS - a capability that is becoming increasingly critical as signal disruption and spoofing risks grow across both defence and commercial applications. Toget

Diraq's unique silicon-based architecture is scalable, economical, deployable, and powerful — and is drawing on the NVIDIA NVQLink platform. Australian quantum computing company Diraq has announced a collaboration with NVIDIA to advance hybrid quantum–classical computing architectures aimed at achieving utility-scale performance. By integrating quantum processors with high-performance GPU-based systems, the partnership seeks to enable real-time control, error correction and s

Q-CTRL, in partnership with Elevate Quantum and a consortium of leading collaborators, has announced the launch of the United States’ first open-architecture quantum computing system. Delivered in record time, the platform represents a significant step towards commercially viable, modular quantum infrastructure—designed to accelerate real-world deployment and interoperability across the quantum ecosystem. Read the full announcement here .

Salience Labs and Keysight Technologies have partnered to develop the industry’s first dedicated testing environment for optical circuit switching, a key technology for next-generation AI data centre networks. The platform enables validation and optimisation of all-optical switching systems, helping operators improve performance, reduce latency and lower power consumption. By providing advanced measurement and analysis capabilities, the collaboration aims to accelerate the de

Salience Labs has unveiled a 32-port all-optical silicon photonic switch designed to address critical networking bottlenecks in AI data centres. By replacing traditional electronic switching with fully optical connectivity, the technology significantly improves latency, throughput and energy efficiency while enabling scalable, high-bandwidth communication across thousands of GPUs. As the first in a broader portfolio of optical circuit switches, the platform represents a step

Littlepay, Google and Go-Ahead Group have introduced a new approach to digital ticketing, enabling passengers to purchase and use prepaid bus passes directly within Google Wallet. The solution allows users to simply tap their phone to travel—removing the need for paper tickets, separate apps, or QR codes—while extending the convenience of contactless travel to pre-paid journeys. Read the full announcement here: Littlepay, Google and Go-Ahead Launch prepaid bus passes in Googl

Contactless EMV payments are increasingly being adopted across public transport networks as operators look to simplify ticketing and improve passenger convenience. By allowing travellers to use their contactless bank cards or mobile wallets directly at the gate, open-loop systems can reduce reliance on proprietary ticketing infrastructure while supporting more flexible fare structures. A recent example is the rollout of contactless “tap and go” payments across the Merseyrail