Challenges in Adopting Quantum Technology

Quantum Computing’s Roadblocks: The 3 Barriers Holding Back the Revolution ⸻ Why Quantum Isn’t Mainstream—Yet Quantum computing promises to revolutionize industries—from drug discovery to AI—by solving problems conventional computers can’t touch. Yet despite the buzz, practical quantum computing is not widely adopted. The reason? The field still faces three major barriers—technical, societal, and infrastructural—that must be overcome before it can fulfill its transformative potential. ⸻ The Three Major Barriers to Adoption 1. Technical Complexity • Qubit Stability: Qubits are highly sensitive to their environment and can lose coherence (i.e., stability) after mere milliseconds. • Error Rates: Even short computations often introduce significant errors, making output unreliable. • Scalability: While small-scale quantum devices exist, scaling them to thousands or millions of qubits with sufficient fidelity is a massive engineering challenge. 2. Security and Privacy Risks • Quantum Threat to Encryption: Once quantum computers are powerful enough, they could break today’s encryption standards—posing risks to global cybersecurity. • Need for Quantum-Safe Protocols: Organizations must invest now in post-quantum cryptography to protect long-term sensitive data. 3. Societal and Economic Integration • Workforce Gap: Few engineers and scientists are trained in quantum computing, creating a bottleneck for growth. • Infrastructure and Cost: Quantum computers often require ultra-low temperatures and specialized environments, making them expensive to develop and maintain. • Ethical and Regulatory Uncertainty: Societal impacts—such as AI acceleration and surveillance—raise questions that lack regulatory clarity. ⸻ Why It Matters: Timing the Leap For businesses and governments, the quantum era is not a question of “if,” but “when.” The race is on to develop applications and frameworks that will thrive once the barriers fall. Early movers who understand these challenges—and prepare accordingly—stand to gain outsized competitive advantages. Moreover, investments in workforce training, secure infrastructure, and ethical frameworks now will pay dividends as quantum breakthroughs emerge. The companies and countries best prepared for the coming quantum shift will define the future of technology, economics, and geopolitics. https://lnkd.in/gEmHdXZy

Reading A Practitioner’s Guide to Post-Quantum Cryptography from the Cloud Security Alliance made me pause. It highlights something many organizations still underestimate very often: modern cryptography was not designed for a future with cryptographically relevant quantum computers (CRQCs). This threat is also not theoretical. The risk comes from Store Now, Decrypt Later attacks, where encrypted data can be harvested today and broken once quantum capabilities mature. Time, not just technology, becomes the critical risk factor. Key highlights from the guide • Shor’s and Grover’s quantum algorithms threaten most public-key cryptography in use today, including RSA, Diffie-Hellman, and elliptic-curve algorithms • CRQCs may emerge by the early 2030s, putting long-term-value data at risk even if systems are secure today • Data confidentiality and integrity are both impacted by Store Now, Decrypt Later attacks • NIST published post-quantum cryptography standards in 2024 (FIPS-203, FIPS-204, FIPS-205), but enterprise adoption will take time and investment • Risk assessment must begin by identifying which data assets still hold value at “Q-Day,” not by blanket cryptographic replacement Who should take note • Security leaders responsible for long-term data protection strategies • Architects managing encryption for data at rest, data in transit, and non-repudiation • Compliance and governance teams evaluating regulatory and sector-specific quantum readiness requirements • Engineering teams responsible for cryptographic libraries, TLS, VPNs, KMS, and certificate management Why this matters Unlike most cyber threats, quantum risk is driven by time. Data intercepted today may be compromised years later. If enterprises wait until CRQCs arrive, it will already be too late for data with long-term value. At the same time, mitigation is costly, complex, and not yet fully supported by mainstream products. The path forward The guide emphasizes starting with disciplined risk assessment, identifying vulnerable cryptographic functions, and mapping technology components before committing to mitigation. Enterprises should periodically reassess risk, track technology maturity, and align mitigation efforts with CSA Cloud Controls Matrix guidance rather than rushing into premature or unnecessary changes.

Most enterprises treat quantum computing as a nerdy R&D curiosity. A mistake. Critical business problems, which are fundamentally constrained by classical computing today, are likely to be solved by 2030. With a hybrid combination of high performance computing and quantum approaches. Three sectors stand out: Pharma, Life & Material Sciences: Drug discovery is essentially a molecular simulation challenge. Classical systems approximate. Quantum systems are designed around quantum mechanics itself. Thus, it is not just about faster research, but the ability to model molecular interactions with higher fidelity. For protein folding, compound optimization, personalized therapeutics. Reaching quantum advantage first in pharma won’t merely accelerate pipelines — it will redefine them. Financial Services: Banks, insurers, stock exchanges operate enormous optimization, transaction or probability engines. E.g., for risk simulations, or fraud detections. Many of these problems scale exponentially in complexity. Quantum algorithms are particularly promising where classical Monte Carlo simulations hit practical limits. And, quantum computing is becoming a cybersecurity challenge. Post-quantum cryptography migration will likely be one of the largest infrastructure transitions the financial sector has seen for decades. Complex Logistics & Supply Chains: Airlines, shipping companies, manufacturers, energy grids, and global retailers all face combinatorial optimization problems. These systems already operate at scales where small efficiency gains create major business impact. Enterprises operating in these segments should get „quantum-ready“ now: • Identify quantum-relevant business problems • Work with quantum partners who advocate an open approach • Build internal quantum literacy • Develop hybrid workflows • Prepare your security stack for the post-quantum era. Additionally we need quantum computing companies delivering at production scale. IQM Quantum Computers calls this Production Quantum. Which is the delivery of a production-ready full stack solution rather than just a scientific solution for a specific problem. This is the same pattern we saw with #AI. The competitive gap formed before the technology fully matured. #Quantum readiness is becoming a strategic capability and critical timing question. For an increasing number of enterprises. Not only for R&D departments.

✏️ The G7 central banks’ Quantum Technologies Working Group (QTWG) has published its first report, “Preparing for Quantum Technologies: Key Considerations for Financial Sector Participants” The report examines two areas where quantum technologies may have material implications for finance. 👉 The first concerns data and communication security, in light of advances in quantum computing that are expected, over time, to challenge widely used cryptographic techniques underpinning digital trust. 👉 The second focuses on potential applications of quantum technologies across financial markets, payment systems and central banking activities, as well as their broader system-level effects. Some key ideas on quantum security: 🚩 Assessments suggest a non-negligible probability that a cryptographically relevant quantum computer could emerge over the coming decade. 🚩 The possibility of “harvest-now, decrypt-later” attacks highlight the importance of long-term data confidentiality. 🚩 Quantum-related risks are increasingly incorporated into discussions on financial system resilience. 🚩 The implementation of post-quantum cryptography is, however, not a simple substitution exercise. 🚩 Post-quantum cryptography also interacts with broader questions of cryptographic agility and governance. 🚩 Use of confidential quantum computing to ensure that data and computational intent remain hidden from the quantum service provider, even while computations are being performed, considering that quantum computing will be mostly accessed through cloud-based platforms. 🚩 Quantum sensing enables forms of measurement or surveillance that challenge existing assumptions about privacy, detectability or interference resistance. One key highlight for me ion this document is how it underscores the importance of viewing quantum security in a holistic manner, beyond cryptography. Some key challenges identified on quantum security: 🚩 Interoperability and transition complexity: Extended transition phases may require parallel operation of multiple security standards, increasing complexity and coordination challenges. 🚩 Operational dependencies and third-party risks: Reliance on vendors, service providers and specialised infrastructure develop as supply chain dependencies. 🚩 Cryptographic agility and governance: Effective governance and coordination mechanisms are critical to managing long-term cryptographic evolution. 🚩 Skills and operational readiness: Differences in skills and resources may shape the pace and scope of adoption across institutions. The report was published by Banque de France at https://lnkd.in/epHRThpy

Eight central banks have published their first joint report on quantum technologies and the financial system. (The banks are the Banque de France, Bank of Canada, Deutsche Bundesbank, Bank of England, Banca d'Italia, Bank of Japan, Federal Reserve Board, and the European Central Bank). The G7 Quantum Technologies Working Group (QTWG) report, "Preparing for Quantum Technologies: Key Considerations for Financial Sector Participants," is non-prescriptive. It sets no regulatory expectations and recommends no specific actions. But the significance is in who is saying it. The institutions that set monetary policy for the world's largest economies have now collectively stated that quantum-related risks to the financial system are no longer purely theoretical. The HNDL threat is treated as a present-day risk factor. Post-quantum cryptographic migration is placed at the center of financial-sector quantum resilience. And the report goes further than previous G7 output on quantum by mapping questions the PQC migration discussion often skips: quantum sensing as a financial security variable, concentration risk from quantum cloud dependencies, and the threat to digital signatures and authentication (TNFL). The inclusion of TNFL is a big deal. The report calls out tokenized assets, digital identity frameworks, and distributed ledger systems as particularly dependent on cryptographic authentication mechanisms that future quantum capabilities could undermine. Encryption gets most of the headlines. The authentication threat, i.e. the ability to forge signatures and impersonate trusted entities, may prove more disruptive for financial infrastructure where non-repudiation and identity verification are foundational. The G7 now has two separate working groups addressing quantum risk in finance: the Cyber Expert Group (CEG), which published its PQC migration roadmap in January, and the QTWG, which takes this broader view. One outlines how to approach the transition. The other helps institutions understand why and what else to watch. My full analysis including what the report gets right, what it misses, and why the absence of concrete timelines is both intellectually defensible and practically insufficient: https://lnkd.in/djUHK-Jx

The internet didn’t appear overnight. It evolved, layer by layer, through cycles of iteration. The Quantum Internet is on the same journey. ARPANet and NSFNet, the earliest versions of what would become the internet, were built atop pre-existing telecom infrastructure: copper lines, analog switches, tying together emerging computing systems. What we consider the backbone of the internet: fiber optics, packet switching, and TCP/IP were integrated progressively, after validation through focused field trials. Key components, like optical amplifiers and transceivers, were not off-the-shelf products. They were born in labs as improvements and battle-tested in experimental networks. Quantum networking isn’t just an upgrade, it’s an entirely new stack, built from scratch atop infrastructure never meant for fragile quantum states. Every layer, from the physical interface to routing, timing, and control, must be reimagined. Core components like quantum memories, entangled-photon sources, detectors, and polarization control are still evolving as they are often costly, delicate, and confined to academic labs. But those days are coming to an end: Qunnect has operational devices covering all functions, forming a deployable quantum networking stack strategic partners are innovating on today. So how do we drive adoption? By building compelling use cases and running integration tests. History offers a clear playbook. For example, in the 90s, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) launched the Gigabit Testbed Initiative, five parallel networks, each experimenting with different architectures, custom hardware, and emerging protocols. These weren’t just about testing links; they trialed full system stacks in real environments, enabling rapid iteration and real-world feedback. That approach helped shape the classical internet, and it’s exactly how we’ll shape the quantum internet. Testbeds are how we close the gap between fundamental research and deployable infrastructure. That’s how we go from physics experiments to a real quantum internet, and how we scale it. Platforms like the Numana testbed give researchers/industry a place to validate components under realistic conditions. Enabling co-design across hardware, protocols, and system control. They surface integration challenges and help us measure what actually works. For all these reasons we also built Qunnect's GothamQ, and why we’re helping others build theirs, whether it’s with the teams at T-Labs, Air Force Research Laboratory, or at National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). 👇

The OECD - OCDE report “Building Business Readiness for Quantum Computing: Key Barriers and Support Mechanisms” (Digital Economy Papers No. 383, March 2026) explores how firms can prepare for quantum #computing as a long-term technology. Quantum readiness involves incremental capability-building—starting with awareness and evolving toward use-case identification, #skills development, infrastructure, and #ecosystem engagement—rather than immediate production deployment. Drawing on #interviews with 16 organizations across 10 countries and recent #surveys, the paper identifies four main barriers: limited technological maturity (high error rates and instability), unclear business value and use cases (e.g., optimization in finance/pharma, drug discovery), high costs of access/training (cloud time can reach tens of thousands of dollars; hardware millions), and #talent shortages blending quantum expertise with industry knowledge. These challenges concentrate efforts among large R&D-intensive firms, risking a digital divide with SMEs and lagging sectors. Support mechanisms include networking platforms, advisory services, technology extension programs, R&D grants, and stakeholder consultations. The report recommends hybrid quantum-AI-HPC approaches as entry points, stronger #industry-#academia partnerships, expanded skills pipelines, and policies to broaden access and prevent uneven adoption. It stresses building resilience, including post-quantum #cryptography. Overall, early exposure and internal adaptation are key to future competitiveness as quantum advantage emerges. In my recent Forbes Business Council article, I argue that the convergence of #quantum, #AI, #blockchain, #6G, and #satelliteinternet demands a shift from Web2’s control-based models to decentralized #Web3/Web4 architectures.I explore emerging phygital #business models—like decentralized intelligence marketplaces, quantum-secure #identity services, and autonomous ecosystem orchestrators—to build quantum #resilience, redefine value flows, #trust, and performance metrics beyond profits.

Glad to share a new research article: "A Principled Approach to Quantum Technologies". 👉 Recent breakthroughs in quantum hardware and software by major players like Google, IBM, D-Wave, Quantinuum, Microsoft, and others are pushing the boundaries of computation, simulation, sensing, networking. These advancements hold immense potential to revolutionize industries from healthcare and finance to energy and defense, and to boost general-purpose technologies such as AI, biotechnology and nuclear fusion.   Key Takeaways: 1️⃣ Rapid Advancement & Transformative Potential: Quantum technologies are progressing at a remarkable pace, offering solutions to problems currently beyond classical reach, especially in areas like drug discovery and materials science. 2️⃣ The Dual-Use Dilemma: The power of quantum technology brings both enormous benefits and significant risks. It is crucial to navigate this dual-use character by prioritizing responsible development and acknowledging dual use ambiguity. 3️⃣ Call for Responsible Quantum Technology (RQT): The paper advocates for an RQT framework, guided by tailored principles, to ensure that the societal and planetary benefits of quantum technology outweigh its potential risks. This includes addressing ethical, legal, socio-economic, and policy implications (Quantum ELSPI). 4️⃣ Regulatory Vacuum & Governance Gap: Currently, the rapid advancements in quantum technology are outpacing the establishment of coherent global governance frameworks, unified standards, and certification, performance benchmarking and verification processes. 5️⃣ Proactive and Principled Approach: In the absence of comprehensive formal regulations (beyond national & economic security and export controls), stakeholders are encouraged to leverage self-regulatory tools and best practices to navigate the ELSPI implications. This proactive, principled approach can offer competitive advantages and support the safe, equitable deployment of quantum systems. 6️⃣ Learning from Other Technologies: Policymakers should draw lessons from the governance of other transformative tech like AI, semiconductors, biotechnology and nuclear to inform the oversight of quantum technology and avoid potential pitfalls. 7️⃣ Global Cooperation is Key: Addressing global challenges and realizing the full potential of the suite of quantum technologies, particularly in fundamental research and standardization, will require international collaboration, keeping research and development "as open as possible, and as closed as necessary."   The interdisciplinary research emphasizes that by actively embedding shared principles, values, and standards into the design, infrastructure, and deployment of quantum systems, we can guide them toward much needed collective social and environmental benefit. Download on SSRN: https://lnkd.in/diUd9EhG   #ResponsibleQuantumTechnology #Innovation #Law #Ethics #QuantumAI #Standards #Values #Democracy

I’ve started spending time around the quantum ecosystem in the Northwest. Not to understand the physics. To understand what it will take for quantum technologies to scale. The physics matters enormously. Whether it’s computing, sensing, networking, or security. Breakthroughs at the scientific layer are what make the entire category possible. Without that work, there is no industry. What I’m curious about are the layers around it. ==> Talent density — not just PhDs, but operators, engineers, product leaders, and technicians who can translate breakthroughs into usable systems. ==> Capital patience: funding models that align with long technical timelines and don’t force premature commercialization. ==> Industry collaboration: coordination across universities, startups, incumbents, and government before clear market winners emerge. ==> Institutional trust: the gradual confidence enterprises, regulators, and the public need before adopting technologies this complex. Earlier in my career, I had a front-row seat to a few infrastructure transitions. At Microsoft, we redesigned how enterprise customers bought across product portfolios. It changed what customers bought and used to grow their business, not how the products were made. At F5, I was part of the shift from hardware-centric products to cloud-delivered platforms. It opened new economic models and deployment options, not how we built security and/or load balancers. In both cases, the technology was real and the harder challenge was creating alignment to drive massive scale. Because technology maturity and institutional maturity moved at very different speeds. Quantum technologies feel destine for the same kind of dynamic. The science is advancing. The surrounding system is still forming. That’s the layer I’m interested in understanding better. #QuantumTechnology, #InnovationEcosystem, #TechnologyStrategy

Quantum computing is advancing rapidly, bringing unprecedented processing power that threatens traditional encryption methods. The "collect now, decrypt later" strategy underscores the urgency of preparation, adversaries are already harvesting encrypted data with the intent to decrypt it once large-scale quantum computers become viable. Fortinet is leading the way in quantum-safe security, integrating NIST PQC algorithms, including CRYSTALS-KYBER, into FortiOS to safeguard data from future quantum-based attacks. "A recent real-world demonstration by JPMorgan Chase (JPMC) showcased quantum-safe high-speed 100 Gbps site-to-site IPsec tunnels secured using QKD. The test was conducted between two JPMC data centers in Singapore, covering over 46 km of telecom fiber, and achieved 45 days of continuous operation." "The network leveraged QKD vendor ID Quantique for the quantum key exchange, Fortinet’s FortiGate 4201F for network encryption, and FortiTester for performance measurement." This is not just a theoretical concern, organizations are already deploying quantum-safe encryption solutions. As quantum computing capabilities advance, organizations must adopt quantum-resistant security architectures and take proactive steps now to safeguard their sensitive information against future quantum-enabled attacks. These proactive methods include: -adopting hybrid cryptographic approaches, combining classical and PQC algorithms, ensuring interoperability and a phased transition -implementing crypto-agile architectures, for seamless updates to encryption mechanisms as new quantum-resistant standards emerge -leveraging PQC capable HSMs and TPMs -evaluating network security architectures, such as ZTNA models -ensuring authentication and access controls are resistant to quantum threats. -identifying mission-critical and long-lived data, that must remain secure for decades. -implementing sensitivity-based classification, determine which datasets require the highest level of post-quantum protection. -conducting risk assessments to evaluate data exposure, storage locations, and current encryption standards. -transitioning to quantum-resistant encryption algorithms recommended by NIST’s PQC standardization efforts. -establishing data-at-rest and data-in-transit encryption policies, mandate use of PQC algorithms as they become available. -strengthening key management practices -developing GRC frameworks ensuring adherence to post-quantum security. -implementing continuous cryptographic monitoring to detect and phase out vulnerable encryption methods. -enforcing regulatory compliance by aligning with emerging PQC standards. -establishing incident response plans to handle quantum-driven cryptographic threats proactively. Fortinet remains committed to pioneering quantum-safe encryption solutions, enabling organizations to stay ahead of emerging cryptographic threats. Read more from Dr. Carl Windsor, Fortinet’s CISO!