The year 2025, declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, is a reminder that one hundred years after the birth of quantum mechanics, humanity is once again facing a revolution. Quantum technology, which for decades existed mainly in theory, is increasingly boldly peering into the data centres, cloud services and IT strategies of major companies. In the background, a global race is taking place for a market that will be worth – as McKinsey predicts – close to USD 200 billion by 2040.
From experiment to industry
A report compiled by McKinsey, ‘Quantum Technology Monitor’, shows that the three pillars of the QT market – computing, communications and quantum sensing – could account for USD 97 billion in global revenues as early as 2035. Quantum computing will account for the largest share – from USD 4 billion today to as much as USD 72 billion a decade from now.
– The growth rate of the quantum market resembles the dynamics of cloud development a dozen years ago. Today, we are witnessing a repeat – but at the level of technology that is changing the foundations of data processing, comments Mateusz Borkowski, Deputy Technical Director of DC at Polcom.
It is becoming crucial for companies to have access to quantum computing power without having to purchase specialised hardware. With help comes the cloud and edge computing – enabling quantum services to be used via APIs, almost in the same way as classic virtual machines.
– It is the cloud that enables companies today to test quantum algorithms at the R&D stage. For innovation leaders, this is an opportunity to prepare early for the new era of IT, and thus get ahead of the competition in implementing new solutions – without the need to build their own expensive infrastructure, notes Mateusz Borkowski. – McKinsey stresses that the ‘quantum-as-a-service’ model will become the basis for implementing new solutions for many industries – from finance to manufacturing. Especially as the scalability of the cloud allows computing resources to be dynamically increased as the technology matures, he adds.
Poland at the start, but with ambitions
Although quantum technologies are mainly developing in the USA, Canada, China and Western Europe, Poland does not want to be left behind. The example of companies such as Polcom shows that infrastructure providers are already watching QT developments for compatibility with existing service models.
– We are seeing growing interest from enterprise customers in quantum-ready topics. These are not yet implementation projects, but a clear signal that IT leaders want to understand when and how quantum algorithms will be able to support their operations or predictive analytics, points out Mateusz Borkowski of Polcom.
Experimental phase
Quantum computing in the cloud is now available, but its practical applications are still in the testing phase. Quantum algorithms are only just learning to work with real business problems and this is what is driving increased investment.
– We are observing a repetition of the pattern known from AI: first experimental successes cause an explosion of interest and a dynamic increase in R&D budgets,’ emphasises Mateusz Borkowski, Deputy Technical Director of DC at Polcom. – For decision-makers – CIOs, CTOs and CFOs – the key task for the coming years will be not only to follow the development of QT, but also to develop internal quantum readiness strategies. Companies that start today stand to gain an advantage that is difficult to catch up with. The quantum transformation will not start overnight – but will end in the same way as other breakthroughs: with a huge asymmetry between those who were ready and those who slept through it, he adds.
Faced with increasing data complexity, energy costs and innovation pressures, companies around the world are looking for new infrastructure solutions. Quantum technology, while still non-commercial, is becoming an important point on the map for technology leaders. Combined with the cloud, it could prove to be a new engine of digital transformation – one that, while not yet in full swing, could have a greater impact on the economy than AI or IoT.
