Technology

sept 29, 2025

Is your organization ready for the quantum leap?

After much anticipation, this brave new world of computing appears to be finally ready for real-world applications. As hardware and software improve, companies across many industries are exploring quantum’s business potential to gather practical insights and be prepared once the technology matures.

Words By

Gary Andrew Poole

A tipping point for quantum

Why quantum matters now

Reality check

Building toward readiness

When it comes to tech,  predicting the future and whether or not an innovation will amount to anything is risky. Some technologies succeed, others fade and sometimes one leapfrogs another entirely. Quantum computing is one of those “too-soon-to-tell” technologies whose moment has come. Recent breakthroughs aren’t projections for decades ahead anymore – they are happening now. 

As 2025 got underway, Google and Microsoft had both unveiled new quantum chips and the California-based startup PsiQuantum claimed it would deliver a commercially useful quantum computer by 2029. The announcements illustrate that quantum computing is characterized by constant breakthroughs, albeit with an emphasis on “break.” The technology remains fragile, often unreliable and easy to dismiss as the next big thing that never quite arrives. The fundamental question is whether quantum computing – touted as exponentially more powerful than the fastest supercomputers – is on the verge of real-world commercialization. 

A palm-sized powerhouse

In February 2025, Microsoft announced the Majorana 1, the first quantum chip powered by a new topological core architecture, which it says offers a clear path to fit a million qubits on a single chip that can fit in the palm of one’s hand.

A person holds Microsoft’s compact Majorana 1 quantum chip in the palm of their hand, highlighting its small size and gold details.
Image credit: Grant Hindsley (New York Times)

For starters, quantum computing  is fundamentally different from classical computing. Instead of relying on binary bits (ones and zeros), quantum computers use qubits, which can exist in multiple states simultaneously due to a phenomenon called superposition. This allows quantum computers to perform complex calculations at speeds unimaginable with today’s most powerful supercomputers. 

Yet despite widespread media coverage, many leaders remain skeptical of allocating resources toward quantum. And to be fair, breakthroughs have been “just around the corner” for awhile, making it difficult to separate hype from reality. But this time, things are different. Hardware is improving, software infrastructure is stabilizing and scientists are increasingly optimistic. Quantum simulation is already transforming fields like physics, chemistry and biology. For example, quantum models of nitrogen fixation could potentially be used to improve fertilizer production, impacting world hunger. “If you can improve fertilization yield by just 1%, it could have a dramatic impact,” says Daniel Lidar, professor of electrical engineering and chemistry at the University of Southern California (USC) and a leading expert in quantum computing. 

While quantum computers remain delicate, businesses are embedding quantum teams to prepare for real-world simulation applications before advancing to more complex problems like logistics and financial modeling. Scientists, including Lidar, are in the meantime continuing to refine error correction, which is considered a critical step in making quantum computing stable for future large-scale applications. 

AI is playing a complementary role, accelerating some of quantum’s inherent challenges. “Companies cannot wait until it’s too late because then the internal institutional knowledge will be 10 years behind,” says Bert de Jong, director of the Quantum Systems Accelerator, one of five US Department of Energy National Quantum Initiative Centers. He warns that quantum is more complex than high-performance computing and AI and that failing to prepare now could leave industries at a serious competitive disadvantage. Many companies are heeding that warning, exploring quantum’s potential to augment classical computing.

How to prepare now

Build institutional knowledge

Executives should foster relationships with quantum experts, attend industry conferences and explore pilot projects.

Collaborate with established players

Instead of building expertise from scratch, companies should partner with industry leaders like IBM, Google and Microsoft.

Invest in quantum-safe encryption and quantum sensing

These applications provide immediate, practical entry points without requiring fullscale commercial deployment.

IBM’s Dr. Maika Takita works inside a quantum computing lab, interacting with a large cryogenic cooling system surrounded by server racks and research equipment.
Image credit: Connie Zhou for IBM

Keeping it cool

Scientists like IBM’s Dr. Maika Takita are working to develop the technology needed to power quantum computing.

“Companies cannot wait until it’s too late because then the internal institutional knowledge will be 10 years behind.”

Bert de Jong

Director of the Quantum Systems Accelerator

Less risk-tolerant or hype-resistant executives might ask: Why invest in quantum now, when AI is still dominating corporate strategies? The answer lies partly in quantum computing’s ability to address the massive computational demands and energy consumption that currently limit AI’s growth. Quantum computing isn’t just about speed – it enables entirely new ways of solving problems that even the most powerful supercomputers struggle with, from simulating molecular interactions for drug discovery to optimizing global supply chains beyond what the classical algorithms can achieve. Quantum computing doesn’t replace AI but enhances it, particularly in domains like molecular simulation for drug discovery, where quantum methods could accelerate breakthroughs that reshape industries. 

Recent advancements underscore the immense and growing potential of quantum computing – especially in quantum annealing, a specialized form of quantum computing that focuses on solving optimization problems by means of finding the lowest-energy state of a system. In a widely touted paper published in the journal Science, D-Wave, a company specializing in quantum annealing, has claimed so-called “quantum supremacy” in an optimization problem. The paper argues that its approach – which targets specific combinatorial optimization challenges rather than general purpose computing – could outperform classical methods in certain tasks.  

All this potential on the horizon means that significant money is flowing into the quantum market. The global quantum technology market is projected to reach $10.4 billion in 2025, growing at an annual rate of 70%. Governments worldwide have committed more than $30 billion to quantum research, with China leading at $15 billion, followed by the EU at $7.2 billion and the US between $1.9 and $3.8 billion. Most experts say the United States is leading in quantum breakthroughs, however. Private investment in quantum startups has also surged, with venture capital-backed quantum startups raising $1.9 billion in 62 rounds in 2024, a 138% jump from the $789 million raised the previous year. 

Market signals suggest quantum investment will yield returns sooner than many expect. For companies, the message is clear: Waiting too long to explore quantum’s applications could mean quickly falling behind competitors already embedding quantum into their long-term strategies. “It’s all about readiness,” says Lidar. “Even if companies aren’t actively advancing the field, they need to know where they can plug in when quantum computing becomes viable.” USC, like other institutions, works with private industry to help businesses integrate quantum technology into their R&D efforts. 

No pressure

Quantinuum, a British-American company, houses its quantum processor and other instrumentation in what it calls a “physics package,” an ultrahigh vacuum chamber cooled with liquid helium. The cooling is to provide a better vacuum, not cool the qubits.

Preparing is critical, but there is a gap between quantum hype narratives and clearing real technological hurdles. Nick Hunter-Jones, a theoretical physicist at the University of Texas at Austin who specializes in quantum information theory, says that quantum computing is making strides. But he cautions that truly commercial applications – where quantum systems outperform classical computers in solving real-world business problems – will take several years, potentially decades. “I would bet a lot of money that there aren’t going to be any commercial applications of quantum computing within the next five years, but I wouldn’t bet money that there’s nothing within 30 years,” he says. 

No quantum computer today outperforms classical supercomputers in real-world tasks. While large-scale quantum computing remains on the horizon, breakthroughs in quantum cryptography, communications and sensing are already making an impact. These advancements don’t require fully realized systems, but still harness the unique properties of quantum mechanics to reshape industries. 

Quantum cryptography and communications are already happening. Future quantum computers could break today’s encryption methods, making post-quantum cryptography (PQC) a near-term necessity. Governments and financial institutions are already shifting toward quantum-resistant encryption to safeguard sensitive data. Quantum key distribution (QKD) uses quantum mechanics to make eavesdropping impossible: Any interception attempt alters the data itself, alerting both parties to a breach. 

Quantum sensing, however, is the most mature quantum technology today. It enables ultraprecise measurements used in MRI machines, atomic clocks, GPS-free navigation and even early-stage disease detection. Quantum sensors recently detected early-stage Parkinson’s disease years before traditional MRI scans could. The quantum sensing market is expected to reach $4.2 billion by 2033, with the highest adoption in defense, health care and automotive industries.  

“Even if companies aren’t actively advancing the field, they need to know where they can plug in when quantum computing becomes viable.”

Daniel Lidar

Professor at USC

In the sandbox of innovation‍

Automotive

Quantum algorithms are being explored to improve how autonomous vehicles predict and navigate complex traffic patterns. Major automakers like BMW, Volkswagen and Ford are testing quantum computing for supply chain optimization, material science and the design of more efficient EV batteries.

Manufacturing & energy

Quantum sensors have the potential to improve predictive maintenance in factories, optimize energy grids and enhance renewable energy reliability. Researchers are also testing quantum models for more efficient power distribution and energy storage. Advanced simulations could help design next-generation materials for batteries, turbines and fuel cells.

Pharmaceuticals

Quantum simulations could speed up drug discovery by modeling molecular interactions at a level of precision that classical computers struggle to achieve. Roche and Pfizer are actively researching quantum-driven approaches to treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer’s and cancer.

Google’s Willow chip installed in a cryogenic housing unit, with layers of gold wiring and components needed for ultra-stable qubit operation near absolute zero.
Image credit: Google

Cooling quantum’s future

Google’s Willow chip operates near absolute zero, enabling more stable qubits and advancing the path toward scalable quantum computing.

While quantum technology’s rollout will proceed unevenly across industries, players large and small are working to improve the required hardware. The most advanced quantum computers today have a little over 1,000 physical qubits, but unlocking practical advantages will likely require at least a million error-corrected qubits. IBM unveiled its 1,121-qubit Condor processor in late 2023, and Google introduced the 105-qubit Willow chip in 2024. Amazon entered the race with its Ocelot chip, designed to integrate error correction directly into hardware. Meanwhile, D-Wave continues to push forward with annealing-based quantum systems and Microsoft has developed what it calls a topological qubit approach to improve stability. British-American company Quantinuum, finally, has made strides in a technique using charged atoms for stability. 

Despite these advances, experts caution that true quantum advantage remains distant. Practical quantum investment today means education and pilot projects, not full adoption. Bert de Jong warns that while quantum hardware is advancing, software and algorithm development must keep pace. “Scaling up qubit numbers is one thing, but making them useful for solving real-world problems requires significant improvements in error correction and algorithm efficiency,” he notes. 

Hunter-Jones is equally cautious. “Executives should be excited, but skeptical. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” he says. Yet companies waiting for quantum to be fully mature may find themselves years behind competitors already investing in research, talent and partnerships. “Companies that delay risk falling a decade behind,” says Daniel Lidar. “The question isn’t whether quantum will reshape industries – it’s whether your company will be ready when it does.”

Gary Andrew Poole

About the author

Gary Andrew Poole is a journalist based in Pacific Palisades, California. He has written for The New York Times, TIME, Esquire, and other publications. Poole is also the author of two books.