On World Quantum Day, BosonQ Psi hosted a panel discussion series highlighting the business opportunities and advancements in Quantum. BQP leaders Aditya Singh (Founding member, growth & infra) and Rut Lineswala (Founder & CTO) anchored the discussions. The panelists included Jalal El-Youssef (VP of Sales & Partner Management, QMware), Jitesh Lalwani (Founder & CEO, Artificial Brain), Steve Gibson (Chief Strategy Officer, Strangeworks), and Sreenivas Chetlapalli (Function head, tech & innovations, Tech Mahindra). The expert panel shared valuable insights regarding Quantum adoption by businesses and its practical applications around the following topics. Presenting a few excerpts from the discussion.
Panel 1
Overcoming Hardware accessibility
Quantum computing is progressing rapidly, and businesses now have access to a range of quantum computing technologies to choose from. Careful consideration of specific use cases can help companies select the most effective option.
Steve from Strangeworks stated, "There's a whole host of different modalities available to businesses now. This includes Quantum inspired algorithms running on classical GPUs, Quantum inspired systems with their own purpose-built hardware, and then full-blown software-visible gate systems for different QC technologies."
On bridging the skill gap in Quantum
As with any nascent tech, quantum computing, too, faces skill-related challenges. A promising solution that has emerged to bridge this gap is to train classical software developers to develop quantum algorithms around mathematical models. It requires understanding quantum concepts, which can be acquired through various available resources.
Collaboration with academia for research and developing practical applications could be one way to bridge this gap. QMWare, for example, is collaborating with academia by funding research projects in Quantum. Jitesh Lalwani, CEO of Artificial Brain, also underlined the importance of collaboration between academia and business, which is crucial for developing quantum computing. To this end, the company has recently signed MoUs with Universities and is working with professors and experts from these institutions.
Educating businesses on Quantum:
Quantum computing is a relatively new concept and can pose challenges for investments and customer adoption. As a result, quantum companies are taking several initiatives to educate clients about practical applications. Steve discussed the importance of building awareness of the possibilities of Quantum today and the potential for the future.
Panel 2:
Practical application and potential use cases
Quantum computing can significantly impact the space, automotive, aerospace, and logistics industries, given the complexity of its activities. During the discussion, our panelists shared their experiences on use cases that reflect broader scopes of Quantum technology.
"The potential applications of Quantum include quantum sensors, quantum communication, and quantum Optimization. The latter is crucial, especially for earth observation satellites, where quantum software could be developed to optimize scheduling," said Jitesh, Artificial Brain. Similarly, Quantum computing can help select suitable energy sources in the energy sector.
Quantum computing can also impact other technologies like AI. According to Sreenivas from Tech M, quantum computing can help minimize solving problems that typically take a lot of time or bandwidth. Additionally, quantum machine learning is the next stage of machine learning in AI, which can supplement each other at some stage.
Jalal El Youssef elaborated on a use case with a logistics firm exploring Quantum for route optimization to save on fuel costs.
Sreenivas from Tech M explained, "Tier 1 companies have been looking at quantum computing for the last 3-4 years, and it is only now that they are adopting it for 'low-hanging fruits' with a mix of Quantum and classical approaches – this includes route optimization solutions, fraud optimization and simulating chemical reactions.
Steve agreed, "Optimization is one of the easiest ways for businesses to get started with Quantum, and it can be Optimization of many different things, for example. What's important is a new way of thinking and taking a different approach to tackling the same problem with Quantum."
Taking a Customer-centric approach:
Steve said, "End users don't need to understand the math and science of Quantum. They just need to know the list of assets I need to give to get an optimized output. And so we're trying to trying to bring clients to a level that businesses need not have physicists and dedicated experts for Quantum."
Aditya explained BQP's approach, which is very similar "At BQP, we tell our clients that they need not invest in quantum experts to see the impact of Quantum. It’s more educating the client on the incremental improvements possible with the resources available today."
On nurturing the Quantum ecosystems
Jitesh spoke about quantum ecosystems that actively collaborate with various stakeholders to advance quantum tech. "It actively collaborated and worked closely together towards the common goal of advancing quantum computing. The market for quantum computing is already ignited, and companies can start taking advantage of the opportunities presented by quantum computing now."
Rut gave the example of how BQP fosters collaborations with universities and how companies can leverage these collaborations by working with professors and experts in academia.
Audience Questions
Concluding the discussion, moderators Aditya and Rut invited questions from the audience to the panel. These questions concerned data privacy, use cases, and how medicine, banking, and pharma can see traction in the near term. Steve responding to one of the questions, stated how AI and Quantum can combine to solve humanity's biggest problem.
Panelists also gave their perspectives on switching careers into Quantum, even if one does not have a tech background, and pointed to resources available. Ultimately, the zeal to learn about this exciting and emerging tech matters the most!