Quantum computing has made incredible progress in the last 12months, but much more remains to be done to make it mainstream according to CEO of quantum computing specialist Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) Ilana Wisby.

Wisby  told Mobile World Live in an interview ahead of her session on Thursday that quantum computing is at least “definitely beyond the R&D phase”.

“We are probably at the best of times for anyone wanting to influence and shape the future of quantum,” she said. “The performance of the systems has also significantly improved, demonstrating the reality quantum will one day offer. The landscape is changing rapidly with mergers and acquisitions, SPACs [special purpose acquisition company, and new companies spinning out at an incredible pace.”

Wisby claims that OQC is “amongst the trailblazers towards universal quantum computers”.

“In July 2021 we launched Europe’s most advanced quantum computer, Sophia. And a few days ago, we debuted our latest system, Lucy, on Amazon Braket. Quantum Computing as a Service – QCaaS – is now a reality on the continent,” she said.

Amazon Braket is a is a fully managed quantum computing service from Amazon Web Services (AWS).

“OQC is the first European quantum hardware provider on AWS,” Wisby said. “We are opening up a whole new region and enabling new horizons for quantum in Europe. Anyone can now access Lucy, enabling businesses to streamline their operations and boost their performance.”

While Wisby noted that financial and banking institutions have been early adopters of quantum computing, “longer term, all industries will be impacted. From pharmaceutical companies using the power of quantum to identify new molecules, to the aviation industry using the technology to discover new materials, the impact of quantum will be game-changing,” she said.

Wisby concluded: “Whilst we can’t predict quantum’s exact ramifications, we know that its results will be revolutionary, far-reaching and incredibly lucrative for some. Some projections set a market value of US$19 billion by 2030.”https://www.mobileworldlive.com