Quantum computing, often associated with futuristic sci-fi machines, is now driving operations for many companies, despite its potential to revolutionize the way we work and interact with the world.
Quantum computing solutions and services are already supporting researchers and businesses in jet engine design, logistics, and port cargo handling, according to Techopedia’s interviews with D-Wave, IBM, and NTT.
Business Optimization & Quantum Computing
Fortune Business Insight predicts significant growth in the global next-generation computing market, from $160.97 billion in 2024 to $809.71 billion in 2032, primarily driven by quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and edge computing.
Rolls-Royce and Riverlane have announced a project using a hybrid quantum-classical framework, where traditional computers are programmed to instruct quantum computers, demonstrating the increasing trend of hybrid quantum systems in the modern world.
Riverlane, a leading technology company, is working with Xanadu and Rolls Royce to accelerate the development of applications that allow quantum computers to model airflow through jet engines, as stated by Maria Maragkou, Riverlane’s VP of Product and Partnerships.
Rolls-Royce is among the first companies to use quantum computing in real-world applications, alongside Davidson Technologies and D-Wave, which developed a hybrid-quantum missile defense application. This technology allows for the rapid evaluation and implementation of new quantum algorithms, enhancing efficiency in future product design processes.
D-Wave’s hybrid quantum technology was used by SavantX at the Port of LA to improve cargo management. The technology analyzed over 67 million possible solutions, generating an answer in 13 seconds. The technology increased efficiency by 60% at Pier 300 and reduced turnaround time for trucks picking up cargo containers by 12%.
D-Wave, a quantum technology company, has partnered with over 100 organizations, including over two dozen from the Forbes Global 2000, to tackle computationally complex problems. Pattison Food Group, a Canadian grocery chain, uses quantum hybrid tech to automate driver scheduling, reducing tasks from 80 hours to 15 hours per week, saving up to 80% of time.
Murray Thom, D-Wave’s Vice President of Quantum Technology Evangelism, discussed the optimization problems that quantum computing can successfully tackle, highlighting that optimization is a common business problem.
D-Wave’s quantum computing method accelerates problem-solving and decision-making for various organizational tasks, including supply chain management, manufacturing efficiency, employee scheduling, fraud detection, and waste reduction. Their solutions help organizations solve complex problems, reduce costs, drive efficiencies, and improve predictive analytics.
Adoption of Quantum Error Correction (QEC) Technology
Hardware companies have demonstrated the ability to scale qubit numbers across various techniques, but qubits in quantum computers are highly error-prone due to their sensitivity to quantum noise, according to Maragkou.
Quantum computers currently produce one error per 1000 operations, but to achieve widespread adoption, they must reduce this to one error per trillion operations. Quantum error correction (QEC) can help tackle qubit errors, enabling companies to develop and deploy hybrid quantum computing systems faster across various sectors.
A Growing Community of Quantum Developers
IBM, a leading company in quantum technology, has deployed over 60 computing systems over the past eight years, increasing with new model scale and performance. The company’s Optimization Working Group aims to find the quantum advantage for optimization problem-solving to drive business value.
IBM has developed a quantum error-correcting code 10 times more efficient than previous methods, with the IBM Optimization group working on optimization problems like financial fraud detection, network design, and complex routing. IBM Quantum System One quantum computers have been deployed for clients in Germany, Japan, Cleveland, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, South Korea, and Japan.
IBM Quantum Network has over 250 member organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, universities, and startups, extracting value from quantum systems. NTT Research is developing a coherent Ising machine (CIM), a hybrid of quantum and classical principles, as the most promising approach to quantum.
The CIM hybrid quantum computer is expected to significantly enhance industries like chemical, pharmaceutical, logistics, manufacturing, telecommunications, and machine learning and AI through new material development and process optimization.
Supercharged Technology: AI and Quantum
D-Wave’s Thom explains that the architecture of a quantum processor mirrors that of a quantum neural network, creating a natural link between quantum and AI. They believe that quantum computing and AI are complementary technologies, enhancing AI by enabling more accurate and efficient model training.
D-Wave is collaborating with Zapata AI to develop commercial applications combining quantum and generative AI. The project aims to accelerate the discovery of new molecules by building quantum generative AI models. The company is now entering the commercial quantum computing era, demonstrating its potential to drive impact today.
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