Alexander Jantzen, co-founder of Aquark Technologies, discusses the great potential of quantum technology and its commercialization in the industry.
Humanity lies in the cusp of deep technological and social change driven by the rise of quantum technology. Earlier this year, a controversial (and subsequent withdrawal) statement by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang claimed that “useful” quantum computing applications are still 20 years away.
However, in reality, the quantum industry, which doesn’t focus solely on computing, has already gained considerable momentum.
The pace of progress is accelerating. Currently, major announcements make headlines almost every week, gradually embedding quantum technology into public consciousness. Whether it’s innovative chips, groundbreaking trials, or innovative collaborations, 2025 feels like a pivotal moment for quantum innovation. This is appropriate given that UNESCO has declared the “International Year of Quantum” this year. And with this, important questions are coming up. When do you see practical and commercially viable quantum technologies?
The answer is simple: they are already here.
Of course, quantum technology remains complex and still faces hurdles, particularly in supply chain scaling and protecting. However, while quantum computing has been the most successful in turning the heads of investors, the media and the public, other areas within quantum ecosystems are far closer to having real impact. In fact, we have already witnessed important commercial traction in quantum sensing and quantum secure communications.
So let’s put Quantum Computing aside for a moment and explore the technology that has already jumped from the lab to the market.
Quantum Sensing: Seeing the Unseen
Quantum sensing allows you to see things that were previously undetectable, providing a new way to explore and understand the world. The technology is rapidly matured, with the first commercial system operating successfully in real-world environments, including extreme conditions from air, land, and even underwater.
One of the most promising uses for quantum sensing is in positioning, navigation and timing (PNT). From navigating with smartphone maps to managing global delivery logistics, we rely on PNT every day. Unfortunately, the PNT’s backbone – the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) – suffers from vulnerable signals that are vulnerable to interference. Not only is this dangerous, it’s costly, but it’s estimated that a seven-day GNSS outage could cost the UK economy £7.6 billion.
Quantum-driven atomic clocks provide a solution. By cooling atoms to almost absolute zero, it leverages quantum mechanics to provide ultra-stable and accurate timing. This reduces the long-term drift of the GNSS system, allowing the system to maintain accuracy even when satellite signals are not available. Atomic clocks are set up to play a key role in protecting and enhancing critical infrastructure, in addition to industries such as aviation, deep sea navigation and space exploration. Other opportunities that can be fruitful include financial applications, time stamp financial transactions are important or maintaining synchronized timing across the Internet.
Another important use case for quantum sensing technology is non-destructive underground scanning, such as seabed mapping and the location of underground resources. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says it maps only 23% of the seabed, but quantum sensing technology could dramatically improve research capabilities and understanding of hidden topography.
That being said, the accuracy of quantum intensity is already one area offering immeasurable commercial value, and the more you use it, the more you reveal the more applications it exposes.
Quantum Communication: Designed Security
Quantum technology is also set to redefine the future of communication by addressing the longstanding challenges of security, speed and resilience on both Earth and the universe.
At the heart of this ability is quantum coherence, which maintains predictable and consistent relationships between system properties across time and space. Unlike classical systems, quantum systems treat particles as both waves and particles described through stochastic “wave functions.” This brings uncertainty to individual measurements, but repeating the measurements millions of times leads to extraordinary accuracy.
This statistical accuracy allows for phenomena such as “overlay” and “entanglement”. The important thing to know is that these phenomena form the backbone of quantum secure communications, as they make interference easier to detect.
By providing encryption methods such as Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), quantum allows communications to be grounded by laws of physics as well as mathematics, making communications more resilient against both existing and future cyber threats.
Many companies have already commercialized QKD systems and random number generators, helping communications providers to protect their networks. With the “Q-Day” threat still looming, McKinsey estimates that Quantum Communication Market could reach $11 billion to $15 billion by 2035. This sector can be expected to grow at rapid strength as quantum computing capabilities expand.
The quantum moment is now
Of course, quantum computing is the industry’s central focus on the possibility of simulating complex systems such as molecular interactions in chemistry and protein folding in healthcare, leading to innovative breakthroughs in drug discovery, materials science and more. Needless to say, estimates suggest that quantum computing can offer productivity gains of up to 8.3% by 2055 in the UK.
However, while scalable quantum computers are still under development, many practical quantum applications are already here, full of commercial possibilities. We are no longer in the theoretical age of quantum technology, we are in the unfolding stage. This means that we can begin to imagine a future where these technologies interact with each other and think about how this will change how we interpret and interact with the world around us.
One thing is absolutely clear. Quantum technology has real impact in 2025. This is just the beginning.
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