Quantum technologies can manipulate electrons, photons, and atoms to solve problems previously thought insolvable – and to open up exciting new opportunities. Quantum even enables us to work with counterintuitive principles such as superposition (the ability of a particle to be in two or more states simultaneously) and entanglement (the theory that changing the state of one particle can influence the behavior of another, at distance).

Quantum technologies promise exponential speed-up vis-à-vis the best available supercomputers, tap-proof communications, and ultra-precise and fast measurements – a phenomenon commonly known as the ‘quantum advantage’ – over classical systems that are in use today.

Such technologies can bring a huge shift in the way in which businesses solve problems around optimization, mechanical simulation, and machine learning. Quantum can bring greater efficiencies than current technologies in risk management, cybersecurity, logistics, scheduling operations, discovery of lightweight materials or new drugs, and addressing climate change, among other areas.

Quantum technologies are still at an early stage – organizations are still exploring proofs of principle and concept. Most problems solvable using current quantum computers, for example, can also be solved more quickly and cost-effectively using conventional computers. Classical approaches will continue in the foreseeable future, quantum technologies will mostly be used alongside. Nevertheless, in recent years, research advances have accelerated, and the technology has started to move out of lab environments and into real-world applications.