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Quantum computing: Is it time for your business to get involved?

  • min read
    • In Douglas Adams' 1979 science fiction comedy novel The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a supercomputer called Deep Thought takes 7.5 million years to answer the question, "What is the meaning of life?" Unlike Adams' monolithic supercomputer, quantum computers will be like today's fiber broadband compared to 1990s dial-up internet. Google's quantum computer can perform a calculation 158 million times faster than classical computers. Quantum computing's sped-up computations could reshape nearly every industry. But it also has strange quirks that make it hard to use in ways that beat classical computer abilities. At least, that's how things are today. Businesses that value innovation are throwing their hat in the quantum ring to ensure they're ready for sweeping change. Should your business get involved – and if so, how? In Insight Story Season 2 Episode 3, I discuss quantum computing's relevance to business with Dr. Oliver Thomson Brown (UK,) Chancellor's Fellow at EPCC (formerly Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre,) University of Edinburgh and Dr. Henning Soller (Germany,) Partner and Director of Quantum Research, McKinsey & Company. What is quantum computing? Quantum computers are the next step up from the powerful supercomputers that often power AI applications today. They'll be part of our computing future but have a starting role today. Quantum and classical computers are very different beasts – in fact, they can't even communicate with one another. Quantum data is different, too – for example, you can't copy it. Some quantum computers must be kept at very low temperatures in purpose-built fridges. These features may not sound encouraging, but quantum computers have potential to do some things much better and faster. These abilities could be game-changing in many sectors, including finance, chemicals and logistics. How could business use quantum computing? Despite quantum computers currently being about as sophisticated as the classical computers of the mid-20th century, business is interested. Henning advises companies throughout Europe and the Middle East on large-scale IT and data transformations. He's confident quantum's impact will be huge. "We haven't yet proven a case where quantum computers outperform classical computers, but we're certain this technology will be the major disruption for the business in the coming decade. We estimate economic potential of at least several trillion US dollars." Oliver's research focuses on the interaction of quantum and high-performance computing. He says quantum could help with problems where the solution is a sequence of binary numbers. "That might include logistical problems around deciding where things go. For example, how do you fill beds in a hospital ward? Or flow- or network-type problems, like traffic management. Quantum computers may also have advantages when finding the best configuration for a molecule, like in drug discovery." Quantum might also work well for problems that scale poorly on classical computers. "We're looking at problems in aviation and genomics. Genome assembly scales factorially – with a quantum computer, we may be able to reduce that by a lot." Henning adds, "We could use it for experiments that we need humans or animals for today. We could test chemicals much faster and transact money in different but completely secure ways. Some banks are using it for derivative pricing and Monte Carlo simulations." It's something of a hammer looking for a nail, he says. "It's not about having an advantage today, but being able to exploit the advantage tomorrow." Quantum challenges Oliver says, "Adoption will be driven by how easy they are to use." But today, quantum computers aren't easy to use. "You have qubits, and multiple qubits form a register. Then you set up quantum gates in a circuit that apply to that qubit register and transform it – hopefully – into a state representing the solution to your problem." If you didn't understand that, don't worry – classical computers don't get it either. That's one of the biggest challenges that must be overcome for quantum to go mainstream, says Oliver. "You have results stored as quantum information on qubits in your qubit register, but you can't read that out directly into a classical computer. So what do you do with it?" And that's not all. "You can't copy quantum information. That's great for security but terrible for computing," says Oliver. With technology this imperfect – and let's face it, confusing to anyone without a computer science PhD – the business benefits are less obvious. Henning suggests looking at the bigger picture. "There is value in investing in quantum computing already, but not in profit and loss terms." Is quantum a security threat? A 2022 study claimed that it will soon be possible to crack the most established crypto algorithm by combining classical and quantum computing. It comes down to the role giant prime numbers play in encryption. Oliver says, "The first big quantum computing application was for factoring large prime numbers. It has no practical use except that we use large prime numbers for encryption. But security people now know it's not a good base for security, and they're looking at alternatives. It must be something quantum computers are bad at." Dr. Amin Hasbini, Head of Research Centre Middle East, Turkey and Africa for Kaspersky's Global Research and Analysis Team agrees the cybersecurity industry is one step ahead. "Quantum computing will also make encrypted data harder to hack, but hackers will find ways to adapt as they always have." Henning sees the need for improved encryption as a quantum business opportunity. "Quantum cryptography is a whole new industry. It's a major area of active investment." He doesn't see hackers accessing quantum tech just yet. "This is elaborate technology – not something you can steal and easily operate." Oliver thinks one quantum quirk might foil decryption attempts. "The error rate for quantum computers is huge compared to classical computers. You're likely to hit an error with any big circuit. You'd need a very large quantum computer, and we're nowhere near that." What will quantum computing's future look like? What are the next steps to unlocking the potential of quantum computing? Henning says, "The first machines will be hybrid by design because programming them will require a classical computer. Several technologies will need to come together to operate them successfully. They must intelligently break down a problem into what suits each technology and then put the overall result together." He suggests business leaders embrace the future. "This revolution is coming – not tomorrow, but in a foreseeable timeframe. It may make sense to set up a smaller team to scout the technology and identify use cases. Look for opportunities to partner with quantum startups. Your business can bring the knowledge of problems that need solving." Oliver agrees it's not about having all the expertise in-house. "Build partnerships with specialists who understand how to get the most of it." Quantum computers can't do much today, but their potential is undeniable. Businesses exploring this new realm are investing in a reputation for innovation and the possibility of solving today's hard problems. Difficulty accessing and using the technology should keep hackers at bay for now, but cyber researchers are working on new encryption methods that quantum computers can't crack.
quantum computing talent

How business could leap the quantum computing skills gap

  • min read
    • Chiswick Health Centre is a large brutalist building in London, UK. Along its snaking concrete entrance ramp, masked people form a socially distanced line. Inside, the open-plan waiting room has neat rows of prefabricated cubicles, and a COVID-19 vaccination nurse is doing his rounds. New drugs and latest findings in the life sciences have never been more important. Innovative techniques to help develop and distribute vaccines have been delivered in double-quick time. And if there are the people to do it, quantum computing could make the process even faster. Where are the quantum computing skills gaps? Although the latest quantum hardware, pioneered by the likes of IBM and Google, has a way to go, in a decade or two, we could even see the 'holy grail:' a universal quantum computer. Ilyas Khan, Founder of enterprise quantum solutions developers Cambridge Quantum Computing, says, "There are two clear sectors in quantum computing. First, the hardware and second, the software and algorithm discovery. There are severe skill shortages in software and algorithm discovery. On the hardware side, the issue is less pressing, but the engineering problem that must be solved is, of course, very hard." Fast growth in the quantum computing market Tech industry insights firm ReportLinker forecasts the quantum market will grow from 472 million to 1.7 billion US dollars between 2021 and 2026. And governments are backing it by investing in education and training. In 2018 US Congress passed the National Quantum Initiative Act (NQIA,) investing more than 1.2 billion US dollars in quantum research and development. The European Union launched its quantum computing flagship around the same time, with an expected budget of 1 billion Euro. China, Australia, Singapore and others are starting their own quantum initiatives. But what's all this got to do with developing and distributing medicines? Drug discovery leading the quantum market The field of medicine and biosciences searching for promising new medicines is called drug discovery. Here, the value of quantum algorithms is already evident. A 2020 poll of life sciences organizations showed almost a third (31 percent) were starting to look at how they could use quantum computing. A further 39 percent said they have quantum computing "on their radar" for 2021. Khan of Cambridge Quantum Computing says things like drug discovery can take many years using the most powerful classical computers. Although quantum computing is still early stage, "it's close to starting to match classical timescales," making it worthy of investment. Pharmaceutical companies are keen to get ahead in quantum. This January, drug discovery firm Boehringer Ingelheim achieved a first in its industry, announcing it was joining forces with Google in quantum computing. In a statement, the company said it would "invest significantly" in the coming years to realize the full potential of the technology. Boehringer Ingelheim has already set up a dedicated quantum lab, hiring "outstanding experts in the field of quantum computing from academia, industry and quantum providers." Talent is key: The poll of life science organizations previously mentioned found 28 percent thought missing skills were a potential barrier to progress. Specialist skills needed for a challenging technology Vincent Yam, Co-founder of AI and quantum computing recruitment agency Tekna Search, explains how niche quantum computing skills are compared with regular software development. "Most people have a Ph.D. in something quantum-related and a physics background, either at undergraduate or Master's level. Even then, two say, superconductivity specialists may have very different skills." Khan says, "Quantum information theorists tend to have physics, maths and computer science backgrounds. A small but growing number have also done graduate or postgraduate quantum information theory." Anticipating quantum skills shortages, investment bank JP Morgan started an internship program for quantum talent in 2020 for Master's or Ph.D. students. Universities are stepping up their programs too. Renowned institutions like the UK's University College London (UCL) and Duke University in the US have launched a Master's degree in quantum technology. Khan thinks there's still not enough investment in education. "The range of quantum computing graduate and postgraduate degree courses must increase substantially." Practical internships can nurture the talent pipeline While true quantum computing is some way off, quantum developments are coming thick and fast. These will impact many businesses in the not-too-distant future. The skills are so specialized and sophisticated that governments are putting their weight behind developing the best talent, and even then, education is falling short. Yam of Tekna Search says he keeps seeing the same top 10 global institutions in his recruitment efforts. This shows how small the pool is and suggests businesses should focus on getting talent early from best-in-class quantum research universities. Tech giant IBM is working to secure the best people early with an initiative aimed at high school students. Quantum computing could help tackle society's biggest problems. Its computational power could hasten our way out of the next pandemic, but it will need the best minds. Companies must think today about who those minds should be, and how to hire and develop them.
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Secure Futures magazine is your go-to business guide for opinions, trends and insight into the world of technology and cybersecurity. We help your business to bring on the future. Brought to you by Kaspersky, the global cybersecurity experts.

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