Wait or start?
Clearly, we have to get started! Quantum computing (QC) is here and, as a disruptive technology, will open up completely new possibilities in applications and business models. In the next five to ten years, hardware ready for series production will be available to us. It will be too late to start dealing with the technology and its possible applications only then: the claims for new products and IP will already have been staked out. We have to transfer these new technologies into practical application as widely as possible. To do this, we have to network science and industry at an early stage and build a solid value chain.
How does Bavaria stand in terms of quantum technology?
We are in an excellent position in Bavaria. We already have companies that build quantum computers and others that write the necessary software. Above all, we have incredible knowledge in our research landscape. Our task now is to transfer this know-how into the economy – in other words, into practical applications. Regardless of this, many companies are already at the forefront of the world in the fields of quantum sensing and quantum communication. Market-ready applications and thus business cases are within reach.
Does technology transfer work?
At the moment, the research aspect dominates. A comparison of the number of research results published in Bavaria with the number of patents shows that there is still room for improvement in terms of technology transfer. In order to exploit this potential, we need to better link deep tech and high tech and transfer them to the economy. On the one hand, this requires a strong ecosystem of suppliers that can supply these technologies with high-tech components, and on the other hand, a user market so that these innovations are viable and sustainable. Established cross-industry and cross-technology networks are of paramount importance for this. We work intensively in these networks to determine the needs of companies and feed them back to research. This includes finding out which challenges we can solve in the future with QC more efficiently and sustainably than with classic computers. And there are countless opportunities here. This creates two types of market opportunities for companies – including SMEs: on the one hand as suppliers of components for hardware or software, and on the other hand as users in order to be able to manufacture their own products more efficiently and sustainably or to make new, previously unimagined products possible in the first place.
Can a single technology change the economy?
If we don’t just focus on one technology, but combine it sensibly with existing ones, another huge step will have been taken. A synergy of future technologies such as 6G, quantum computing and highly automated driving still seems a long way off, as the individual disciplines still have to develop massively. But it is precisely the combination of such high- and deep-tech technologies that can create revolutionary added value for many applications. The combination of AI and quantum computing in combination with high-performance computing (HPC) is practically on the doorstep.
Does quantum computing make sense for SMEs?
Yes – provided that the company already does a lot of simulation, for example for material calculation, flow analysis, route or process optimization, production or planning. The main business model of quantum computer builders is to offer access to such a computer. Therefore, companies should already be building up know-how and learning how to translate problems into algorithms. This knowledge building is very complex, as it is not simply a further development of previous computer knowledge, but completely disruptive.
Won’t quantum computing only be relevant for very few companies?
Many more companies will benefit from this than we believe today or than the companies themselves suspect. It is all the more important that they prepare themselves. And they must have more confidence in their employees. Prof. Sabine Pfeiffer from the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg has found in scientific studies that the workforce is not afraid of new technologies. That is a common prejudice. But the opposite is the case. People want to be taken along, want to help shape things. And they want the new technology to be well adapted to their workflows and their needs. Then they will use it effectively.
Do we need more risk-taking?
Yes, absolutely. Experience with the use of AI in business shows that many companies are still too hesitant and are missing out on opportunities. The real fun fact is that most of us use AI much more often in our private lives than in our everyday working lives. What wasted potential. My advice is to just do it – and of course talk to us. We’re happy to help.
