By J. Philippe Blankert, 27 February 2025
Introduction
Quantum computing is moving from theory to practice, with companies worldwide beginning to explore its potential. While quantum computing remains in its early stages, some industries are already seeing tangible benefits, particularly through Quantum as a Service (QaaS) offerings from providers like IBM, Google, and D-Wave. However, significant challenges remain in hardware development, financial investment, talent availability, and regulatory frameworks.
This article explores global and regional adoption trends, sector-specific use cases, ROI analysis, and key bottlenecks that hinder broader adoption.
- Global and Regional Adoption Trends
As of 2025, the number of companies actively experimenting with quantum computing has increased, but only a minority have implemented quantum solutions in production environments. A recent McKinsey survey found that 67% of organizations have not yet deployed quantum computing use cases [https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/tech-forward/quantum-computing-the-time-to-act-is-now].
Adoption by Region
- North America: The U.S. leads in quantum investments, with government funding exceeding $3 billion and corporate players like IBM, Google, and Honeywell offering QaaS solutions. About 20% of large enterprises have started quantum initiatives [https://www.ibm.com/blogs/research/2024/01/quantum-roadmap-1000-qubits/].
- Europe: Germany, France, and the Netherlands are leading European efforts, with projects such as Atos’ quantum simulator and EU funding initiatives. Adoption stands at 12-15% of enterprises [https://ec.europa.eu/digital-strategy/our-policies/quantum-technologies_en].
- Asia: China has invested heavily in quantum computing, surpassing the U.S. in patents. Japanese tech giants like Fujitsu and Toyota are exploring quantum for optimization. Adoption in Asia is estimated at 18% [https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-03034-x].
- Industry-Specific Adoption
Finance
The financial sector is a frontrunner in quantum adoption, leveraging quantum algorithms for risk analysis, fraud detection, and portfolio optimization.
- Goldman Sachs has invested in quantum computing for derivatives pricing and expects commercial benefits within a decade [https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04911-3].
- JP Morgan Chase has partnered with IBM to explore quantum-enhanced Monte Carlo simulations [https://www.ibm.com/blogs/research/2024/01/quantum-algorithm-development/].
Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare
- Pfizer and Roche are investigating quantum simulations for drug discovery, which could reduce R&D costs by 40% [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03576-5].
- GE Healthcare is exploring quantum-enhanced imaging for early disease detection [https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aax9384].
Energy and Materials Science
- ExxonMobil and Shell are leveraging quantum computing for molecular modeling and energy optimization [https://www.bcg.com/publications/2024/long-term-forecast-for-quantum-computing].
- Volkswagen is using quantum algorithms to optimize battery materials for EVs [https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abe8776].
Cybersecurity
- NSA and NIST are urging industries to prepare for post-quantum cryptography, given quantum’s potential to break RSA encryption [https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/9512048].
- Microsoft is developing lattice-based cryptographic solutions to resist quantum attacks [https://www.ibm.com/blogs/research/2024/01/quantum-error-correction-milestone/].
Autonomous Systems & Logistics
- DHL and FedEx are piloting quantum computing for supply chain optimization [https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02234].
- Airbus is leveraging quantum for flight path optimization and material simulations [https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.01400].
- Returns on Investment (ROI) and Case Studies
Case Study 1: D-Wave and Volkswagen
Volkswagen collaborated with D-Wave to optimize traffic flow in Beijing, reducing congestion by 15% using quantum annealing [https://www.dwave.com/resources/volkswagen-and-d-wave-improving-traffic-flow].
Case Study 2: BBVA Bank
BBVA implemented quantum algorithms for risk assessment, achieving 20% faster calculations in Monte Carlo simulations [https://arxiv.org/abs/2204.12327].
Projected ROI for Quantum Computing
- Short-term: Experimental use cases, limited direct ROI.
- Mid-term (2025-2030): Expected quantum advantage in finance, materials science, and logistics.
- Long-term (2030+): Broad commercial impact, particularly in AI-driven quantum applications.
- Key Bottlenecks Hindering Adoption
Hardware Limitations
- Decoherence and error rates remain significant barriers, requiring improved quantum error correction [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-05032-1].
- Scaling quantum computers beyond 1000+ qubits remains a challenge due to noise and connectivity constraints [https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aax9384].
- BUT: above problems can be avoided by adopting QaaS, Quantum as a Service, see also https://bqm.ai
Financial and Talent Constraints
- High development costs: $10M+ per year for quantum R&D teams [https://www.bcg.com/publications/2024/long-term-forecast-for-quantum-computing].
- Shortage of quantum talent: Only 2,500 quantum specialists globally [https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-01427-x].
Regulatory Uncertainty
- Unclear post-quantum cryptography standards delay adoption in cybersecurity [https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/9705052].
- Lack of interoperability between quantum platforms increases vendor lock-in risks [https://www.ibm.com/blogs/research/2024/01/quantum-working-groups/].
- Future Outlook
Quantum adoption is set to accelerate in the 2030s as error correction improves and costs decrease. Governments and enterprises investing early will likely gain a competitive advantage as quantum advantage becomes a reality.
Key Predictions
- By 2030, QaaS adoption will increase, with cloud providers like AWS and Microsoft offering expanded quantum services [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04911-3].
- By 2040, full-scale fault-tolerant quantum computing may disrupt multiple industries, unlocking solutions beyond classical computing’s reach [https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abe8776].
- Forecast Quantum Growth: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=205935789
Conclusion
Quantum computing is transitioning from lab experiments to industry pilots, with finance, pharma, and logistics leading the charge. While major bottlenecks persist, quantum pioneers are laying the groundwork for broader adoption. Companies that invest now will be best positioned to capitalize on the next computational revolution.
An excellent choice, certainly in Europe, to start with Quantum is https://bqm.ai – the company offers middleware that connect Quantum as a Service with client’s AI. So no quantum computer is needed, and BQM has deep knowledge of the sectors it serves.