Down to Business

In software development, open-source projects are common and directly compete with proprietary for-profit products. Francesco Bova and Roger Melko argue that in quantum computing, an open-source initiative is needed and would play a more complementary role.

The UK’s quantum strategy prioritizes quantum sensing, but hiring trends focus on quantum computing and communication. To meet targets, the UK must realign hiring and education with its immediate needs.

20 years on from the isolation of graphene, over 150,000 graphene-related patents have been filed. Yet despite early promises of integration into semiconducting and photonic devices, the biggest applications to date have been in energy storage and polymers. This article analyses graphene commercialization over the past two decades and discusses the role of graphene in applications towards net-zero carbon.

With more public and private funding in fusion, the expectations in terms of spillover benefits are increasing, but these can only happen through enhanced cross-sector collaboration.

Access to quantum computers has been democratized by the availability of cloud services from commercial providers, but the numbers of qubits users can exploit have remained modest, limited by noise and errors. What are these qubits used for and what can we expect next?

Increasing public and private investment, technological breakthroughs, and a growing number of facilities could bring fusion technology to the delivery era by mid-century. Matteo Barbarino argues that global cooperation and effective regulation are vital in accelerating progress.

There are a number of lower risk opportunities to invest in quantum technologies, other than quantum computers, but to make the most of them both specialist knowledge and market awareness are required.

Quantum computing technologies are advancing, and the class of addressable problems is expanding. What market strategies are quantum computing companies and start-ups adopting?