Nations and regions around the world are continuing the rapid build-out of publicly funded quantum technology initiatives. Everyone wants to build a future quantum ecosystem in their own back yard. In the commercial space, the bounds of international collaboration are beginning to emerge. Investors need to dress for all seasons. Governments around the world have…
In the wider quantum technology sector common underlying technologies are being developed for an increasingly wide variety of applications. New products are already at market and more are set to follow. Innovative leaders are setting an example of how involvement here is a force multiplier for their wider ambitions. The long term potential is huge.…
Business must act now to secure itself against the security threat posed by future quantum computers. Fortunately new quantum-resistant maths-based crypto is on track to protect businesses that act promptly. To understand the growing momentum behind additional physics-based quantum security, it’s necessary to appreciate its unique enduring security promise and the long term direction in…
China’s quantum supremacy demonstration may grab headlines, but not yet leadership in the quantum computing race. Leading hardware groups have firmed-up their development roadmaps for the marathon ahead and error correction has become a key part of the story. The challenge of scaling-up remains pre-eminent. A growing number of quantum majors, startups and institutes are…
The quantum computing landscape has been transformed by a surge of commercial startups pursuing very different technical paths. Investors and pioneers must prepare themselves for a challenging journey ahead. A growing list of major, midsized and startup companies have joined the quantum computing quest. However today’s prototype devices must be radically scaled up before they…
The quantum race is truly underway as regions and nations vie to join the $1 billion club. 2020 will see geopolitical considerations increasingly hard to ignore as major national programmes chart their way forward. 2019 was a year of consolidation for national quantum programmes. Everyone wanted to boast about how much they are spending. Europe…
Future quantum computers will one day bring us many great benefits. Unfortunately they will also break many of the cryptographic protocols on which current Internet security depends. Google’s quantum supremacy breakthrough notwithstanding, this is still most likely many years off. However, sensitive data intercepted and stored today, or long lifecycle infrastructure could already be at…
Quantum computers can only realise their full potential by defeating the noise that plagues their delicate qubits. The field of quantum error correction offers some increasingly mature solutions. But it is also still a rapidly evolving discipline, and innovation here, as much as in hardware, will shape the future quantum computing roadmap. If 50-70 qubits are…
The arrival of Boris Johnson in Downing Street makes a hard Brexit ending more likely. To understand the impact this will have on the science and innovation landscape and quantum technology in particular, we have to look beyond the immediate disruptions and understand how the thinking of the political right has changed. UK science is…
The focus of the EU’s €1b Quantum Flagship programme is not basic science, nor is it simply about bringing new technologies to market. The end-goal is driving wealth creation, jobs and societal benefits in Europe. This requires kick-starting the competitive position of European industry in this sector and making Europe the region of choice for…