IncollaborationwithAccenture

EmbracingtheQuantumEconomy:

APathwayforBusinessLeaders

INSIGHTREPORT

JANUARY2025

Images:GettyImages

Contents

Foreword3

Executivesummary4

Introduction5

1Advancementsandimpactinthequantumeconomy7

1.1Therapidadvancementandevolutionofquantumtechnologies8

1.2Themainchallengesforunlockingthepotentialofquantum

technologies9

1.3First-moveradvantagesandchallenges10

1.4Thenextwaveofdisruption:QuantumandAI13

2Thequantumeconomy:Buildingnewgrowthareas16

2.1Quantum-driveneconomicdiversification17

2.2Economicdiversificationacrossindustrysectors21

3Thequantumleap:Navigatingthenewfrontierofusecases28

3.1Industryengagementandusecases29

3.2Usecaseimpactoneachindustry29

4Thebusinessofquantum:Howtogetstarted39

4.1Explorativeinitiatives40

4.2Buildingadedicatedteam41

4.3Strategicinvestments42

Conclusion45

Contributors47

Appendix49

Endnotes63

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EmbracingtheQuantumEconomy:APathwayforBusinessLeaders2

January2025

EmbracingtheQuantumEconomy:APathwayforBusinessLeaders

Foreword

AdamBurden

GlobalInnovationLead;ChiefSoftwareEngineer,Accenture

Inaneramarkedbyrapidtechnological

advancements,thequantumeconomystandsatatransformativemilestone.Throughdiscussions

andworkwithourpartnersandexperts

acrossindustriesandstakeholdergroups,werecognizetheprofoundimpactthatquantum

technologieswillhaveonindustriesworldwide.

Thisdocumentservesasacomprehensiveguidefornavigatingthisnewfrontier.

Itprovidesvaluableinsightsintothepractical

applicationsofquantumtechnologiesthroughoutvarioussectors,fromfinanceandhealthcareto

energyandtransportation.Byembracingthese

advancementsandimplementingquantum-safe

cryptography,businessleaderscannotonly

enhancetheircompetitiveedgebutalsoprotect

theirsystemsagainstthecybersecuritythreats

posedbyquantumtechnology.Itiscrucialtostartpreparingtodaytobuildtrustandensureasecure,sustainableandresilientglobaleconomy.

Accenturehasalwaysbeenattheforefrontof

technologicalinnovation,helpingbusinesses

harnessthepowerofemergingtechnologiesto

drivegrowthandefficiency.Quantumcomputing,

sensing,andcommunicationandsecurityrepresentthenextwaveofdisruption,offeringunprecedentedcapabilitiesthatcansolvecomplexproblemsand

unlocknewopportunities.However,ashighlightedattheQuantumWorldCongress2024,thegap

betweenquantumpotentialandquantumsecurityisdangerouslywide.Mostorganizationsarewoefullyunpreparedforthequantum-poweredfuture,

particularlyintermsofcybersecurity.

JeremyJurgens

ManagingDirector,WorldEconomicForum

TheWorldEconomicForumiscommitted

toadvancingresponsibleinnovationand

commercializationinquantumtechnologiesfor

industryandsociety.ThroughitsQuantumEconomyNetwork,1partoftheCentrefortheFourthIndustrialRevolution,theForumprovidesaglobalplatform

forvariousstakeholderstounderstandthepotentialofquantumtechnologies,shapetheirdevelopmentandpreparefortheirintroductionintotheeconomy.OurjointeffortsthroughtheForum’sQuantum

ApplicationHub2initiative,aimtofosterinnovationanddrivetheadoptionofquantumtechnologies

invarioussectors.Theinsightsandstrategies

presentedinthisreportaredesignedtohelpleadersnavigatethecomplexitiesofthequantumeconomyanddrivemeaningfulchangeintheirorganizationsandbeyond.

Theimportanceofthispaperisfurtherunderscoredbytheproclamationof2025astheInternational

YearofQuantumScienceandTechnologybytheUnitedNations.3Thisyear-longinitiativeaimstoincreasepublicawarenessofthesignificanceofquantumscienceanditsapplications,enhancinginternationalcooperationandfocusingon

sustainabledevelopment.Aswecelebrate100

yearsofthedevelopmentofquantummechanics,thismilestoneprovidesauniqueopportunityto

engagewithquantumscienceandtechnology,

inspiringthenextgenerationofquantumpioneers.

Weinviteyoutoexplorethetransformativepotentialofquantumtechnologiesandjoinusinshapinga

futurewhereinnovationandcollaborationpavethewayforsustainablegrowthandprosperity.

EmbracingtheQuantumEconomy:APathwayforBusinessLeaders3

Executivesummary

Thequantumeconomypresentsanunprecedentedopportunitytoreshapeindustriesandredefine

economiclandscapesglobally.Bothpublic

andprivatesectorsneedtoexploreandadopt

emergingquantumtechnologies.Thisreportoffersacomprehensiveguidethatequipsleaderswiththeknowledgeandstrategiesnecessarytoleveragethetransformativepowerofquantumtechnologiesinarapidlyevolvingeconomiclandscape.

Quantumtechnologiesinclude:

–Quantumcomputing,whichisexpectedto

acceleratescientificdiscoveryandpotentialto

solvecomplexproblemsinvariousfieldsthroughoptimization,machinelearningandsimulation.

–Quantumsensing,whichoffersadvancementsinprecisionandautonomousmeasurement,

impactingmanysectors,andisatvariousstagesofadoptionmaturityfromproofsofconcepttoproductionsystems.

–Quantumcommunicationandsecurity,

whichensuresecuredatatransmissionthroughtheoreticallyunbreakableencryption,crucialforfuture-proofingcybersecurityandcreatingnewproductsandservices.

Economicimpactsandopportunities:

Quantumtechnologieshavethepotentialtodriveeconomicgrowthanddiversificationthroughout

variousindustries.Earlyadoptioncanprovide

competitiveadvantages,butalsocomeswith

challengessuchashighresearchanddevelopment(R&D)costsandtheneedforskilledworkforce

development.

Risksandmitigationstrategies:

Addressingtechnologicalreadiness,intellectualpropertymanagementandequitabledistributionofquantumadvancementsiscrucial.Strategicmeasuresincludefosteringpublic-private

partnerships,investingineducationandtraining,anddevelopingrobustregulatoryframeworks.

Industry-specificapplicationswherequantumtechnologiesarepoisedtotransformvarious

industriesbyofferinginnovativesolutionsinkeysectors:

–Financialservices(bankingandcapital

markets,institutionalinvestors,insurance,assetmanagementandprivateinvestors):Quantum

computinghasthepotentialtooptimize

portfolios,accelerateriskanalysisandrefinemodelsforpricingandinsurance.

–Pharmaceuticalsandhealthcare:Quantum

sensingtechnologiescanrevolutionize

diagnosticsandtreatment,particularlyin

cardiologyandneurology,andhaveapplicationseveninearlyclinicalstudies.

–Energyandutilities(miningandmetals,oil

andgas,andenergytechnologyandutilities):

Quantumsolutionscanenhanceenergystorageandgridoptimization,contributingtomore

sustainableenergysystems.

–Technologyandtelecommunications:

Quantumcommunicationcanprovideenhancedsecuritythroughquantumkeydistributionandencryptionmethods.

–Chemicalsandadvancedmaterials:Quantumsolutionscouldbeusedtopredictmolecular

behaviourstodiscoverstronger,lighterand

moresustainablematerialsinthefuture.

–Automotives,aerospaceandtransportation:Quantumsolutionscouldoptimizeprocesses,enhancenavigationandsolvecomplexroutingproblems,leadingtoamoreefficientand

sustainabletransportationnetwork.

Strategicpathwaysforbusinesses:

–Explorativeinitiatives:Engagewiththe

quantumecosystemthroughpartnershipsandpilotprogrammestotestandunderstandthepotentialimpactsofthetechnology.

–Buildingdedicatedteams:Developin-houseexpertiseandcapabilitiestodrivequantum

strategiesforward.

–Strategicinvestments:Allocateresourcestoquantuminitiatives,consideringmarketpotential,riskmanagementandregulatoryenvironment.

Businessesandpolicy-makersmustconductriskassessments,engagewithquantumecosystems,initiatepilotprogrammes,builddedicatedteams,investstrategicallyandcontinuouslymonitorand

adapttheirapproaches.Byfollowingthesesteps,leaderscaneffectivelynavigatethecomplexitiesofthequantumeconomyandharnessitspotentialforgrowth,valuecreationandinnovation.

EmbracingtheQuantumEconomy:APathwayforBusinessLeaders4

Introduction

Quantumtechnologiespromisesubstantialeconomicimpactineverysinglesector

(seeFigure1).Someindustries,suchas

finance,technologyandtelecommunications,

pharmaceuticalsandhealthcare,chemicalsand

advancedmaterials,energyandutilities,and

automotives,aerospaceandtransportation,are

poisedtobeearlyadopters.Thisisbecause

quantumtechnologiespromisetoredefinetheir

businessesandtrulyimpacttheircompetitiveedge.

Assignificantadvancementsaremadeinquantum

technologies,itbringsforththepotentialto

fundamentallyreshapeandredefinetheglobal

economiclandscape.Quantumtechnologies,

definedinthisreportasquantumcomputing,

quantumsensing,andquantumcommunicationsandsecurity,arepoisedtopermeateandtransformeverymajorindustryoftheglobaleconomy.This

evolutionwillcollectivelydrivesignificanteconomicimpactandgiverisetoadistinctiveecosystem,

commonlyreferredtoasthequantumeconomy.4

Financialservices

52

Technologyand

telecommunications

75

Pharmaceuticalsandhealthcare

19

Chemicalandadvancedmaterials

31

86%14%

39%

57%4%

58%42%

13%

13%

74%

Energyandutilities18

Automotives,aerospace22

andtransportation

6%11%

83%

64%18%18%

FIGURE1Earlyadoptersindifferentindustrysectors(bynumberofcompanies)

0102030405060708090100

Quantumsensing

●Quantumcomputing

●Quantumcommunicationsandsecurity

Source:TheQuantumInsiderappandAccenture

Thispotentialtopropeleconomicgrowth,

however,requiresstrategicmeasurestomitigatethechallengesthisnoveltechnologybrings.

Tomaximizetheadvantagesofearlyadoption,

businessleadersshouldnotonlyexaminethe

transformativecapabilitiesofquantumtechnologiesbutalsoaddresstheaccompanyingchallenges

suchasintellectualpropertyissues,resourceconstraints,andtheriskofwideningthedigitaldivide:aquantumdivide.6

Togrowandthrive,thequantumeconomywill

requirestrategicinvestmentsfromthepublic

andprivatesectors,askilledworkforceandan

ever-growingecosystemthatexpandsbeyond

thedominantcountriesandlargestplayers,thus

avoidingtheconsequencesofaquantumdivide.Itisestimatedthatthepotentialeconomicvaluefor

thetrioofquantumcomputing,quantumsensing,andquantumcommunicationandsecurityinthe

leadingindustriescouldreachbetween$900millionand$2trillionby2035.5

EmbracingtheQuantumEconomy:APathwayforBusinessLeaders5

Itisforthisreasonthatvisionaryleadersshould

startinvestingandbuildingtheirquantumstrategynow.Despitetechnicalhurdlesandthelackof

aclearreturnoninvestment(ROI),thesooner

businessesassimilatetheinnovationandstart

experimenting,thefastertheywillfindopportunitiesfornewbusinessvalueandgrowthprovidinga

competitiveedge.

Thisreportoffersactionablepathwaysforbusinessleaderstointegratequantumtechnologies,

emphasizingtheimportanceofdedicatedquantumteamsandstrategicinvestments.Byleveraging

real-worldexamplesandinsightsfromindustry

leaders,itprovidespracticalguidanceforadopting

quantumtechnologiestofostereconomicdiversificationandinnovation.

Thisreportconsistsoffoursectionsexploring

thepotentialofthequantumeconomy,providingbusinessleaderswiththenecessarystepsto

developinformedquantumstrategies.

1.Section1.Advancementsandimpact

inthequantumeconomyintroducesthe

currentquantumlandscape,sharingdetailsoftherisksandopportunitiesofthequantumage,andexploringspecificsontheinterplaybetweenquantumtechnologiesandartificial

intelligence(AI).Thissectionsetsthestageforunderstandingthebroadercontextandimplicationsofquantumadvancements.

2.Section2.Thequantumeconomy:Buildingnewgrowthareasdiscusseshowquantum

technologiescandriveeconomicdiversificationinvariousindustrysectors.Eachsubsection

highlightsthespecificimpactsonfinance,

healthcare,materials,energyandtransportationandtelecommunications,providingdetailed

insightsintosector-specificinnovations.

3.Section3.Thequantumleap:Navigating

thenewfrontierofusecasesprovides

insightsintopracticalapplicationsandindustryengagement,highlightingreal-worldusecasestoexplorehowdifferentsectorscanleveragequantumtechnologies,whileemphasizingtheirtransformativepotentialacrossindustries.

4.Section4.Thebusinessofquantum:Howtogetstartedprovidesactionablestepsforbusinessesandpolicy-makerstoembark

ontheirquantumjourney.Examplesincludeexploratoryinitiatives,capacitybuildingandstrategicinvestments,providingaroadmapforintegratingquantumtechnologiesinto

organizationalstrategies.

EmbracingtheQuantumEconomy:APathwayforBusinessLeaders6

1

Advancementsand

impactinthequantumeconomy

Pitfallsandopportunitiesaboundintheevolvingquantumlandscape.Quantumtechnologies’interactionwithAIwilldriveunparalleledinnovationandefficiency.

EmbracingtheQuantumEconomy:APathwayforBusinessLeaders7

1.1

Therapidadvancementand

evolutionofquantumtechnologies

Continuedandrapidgrowthofquantum

technologiesisheraldinganeweraincomputing,communicationandsensing.

Quantumcomputing,withitspotentialtovastly

outperformclassicalcomputersinsolvingcertaincomplexproblems,isattheforefrontofthis

technologicalrevolution.Thisaccelerationis

predicatedontheconstructionofmachinesthat

canrunthetheoreticallyprovenalgorithms.The

motivationtobuildthesecomputersisincredibly

strongbecausethepotentialeconomicimpactofquantumtechnologiesisprofound.Byunlocking

newlevelsofcomputationalefficiencyandsecurity,theypromisetorevolutionizeindustriesincluding

finance,healthcare,logisticsandenergy.

Quantumcommunication,whichleverages

theprinciplesofquantumentanglementand

superposition,offersanewwaytosecuredata

transmission.Thistechnologyensurestheoreticallyunbreakableencryption,makingitacornerstoneforfuture-proofcybersecurityinfrastructures.7

Itcanenabledetectionofeavesdropperson

communicationchannelsand,whenusedproperlyinconjunctionwithcurrentcommunicationsecuritytechnologies,canofferincreasedcyberdefence.Thisisintriguingbecausecurrentcybersecurity

methodsdependonmathematicalproblemsthataredifficultforcomputerstosolve.Incontrast,

acommunicationsystembasedonphysicshasuniquefeaturesthatoffergreaterpotential.

Meanwhile,quantumsensingispushingthelimitofprecisionmeasurementcapabilities,enablingbreakthroughsinfieldsrangingfrommedical

imagingtoenvironmentalmonitoring.8Themostfascinatingistheglobaldependenceonquantumclocks,whichdeployquantumsensingfortiming.Tomakequantumsensingdevicesmorewidelyusableandaccessible,thenextcrucialstepistomakethemsmaller,lighter,moreenergy-efficientandcost-effective.

Thecurrentstateofquantumtechnologiesismarkedbyexponentialadvancements.

Quantumcomputers,onceconfinedtoacademiclaboratories,arenowbeingdevelopedbymajor

corporationsandstart-upswithinvestmentsin

billions,allaroundtheworld.9Thesedeviceshavebeguntoscaleenoughtorunsmallvariantsof

problemsthatclassicalcomputerscurrentlyfind

insurmountable,suchasoptimizingcomplex

systems,simulatingmolecularstructuresfordrugdiscovery,andsolvinglarge-scalelinearequations.

Centraltothistransformationaretheongoing

R&Deffortsthatcontinuouslypushtheboundariesofwhatquantumtechnologiescanachieve.

Governments,academicinstitutionsandprivate

enterprisesareinvestingheavilyinquantum

research,fosteringanecosystemthatencouragesinnovationandcollaboration.10Currently,public-

sectorinvestmentsworldwideexceed$40billion.11

Theserapidadvancementsinquantum

technologiesaresettoredefinecapabilitiesin

varioussectors.Delvingdeeper,itbecomesevidentthattheirpotentialtosolvecurrentlyintractable

problemswillcatalysesignificanteconomic

transformations,drivingawaveofinnovationandefficiencythatwillshapethefuture.12

EmbracingtheQuantumEconomy:APathwayforBusinessLeaders8

1.2Themainchallengesforunlocking

thepotentialofquantumtechnologies

Quantumtechnologieshavethepotentialtosignificantlybenefitindustryandsociety.However,theyalsobringseveralchallengestosuccessfulandequitableadoption,pertainingtotechnologicalreadiness,

intellectualpropertymanagementandtheequitabledistributionofquantumadvancements.

TABLE1Foundationalchallengesbytechnologytype

Quantumcomputing

Errorratesandstability

Quantumbits(qubits)arefragile,andpronetoerrorsfromenvironmentalinterferenceanddecoherence.Developingrobusterrorcorrectionmethodsandachievingstablequbitoperationarecriticalchallenges.Althoughthereare

deviceswithdifferentmeanstoaddressthisfragility,theystillfacesomechallengeswithrespecttostability.

Scalability

Buildingaquantumcomputerwithmanyqubitsthatcanperformmeaningfulcomputationsisstillworkinprogress.Currentsystemsarelimitedinsizeandscope,andscalingupwithoutexponentiallyincreasingtheerrorratesandresourcerequirementsisasignificanttechnicalchallenge.

Interoperabilityandintegration

Integratingquantumcomputersalongsideexistingclassicalsystemsisessentialforpracticalapplications.Thisrequiresthedevelopmentofhybridcomputingmodelsandnewsoftwareparadigmstoleveragethestrengthsofbothquantumandclassicalcomputing.

Quantumsensing

Sensitivityandprecision

Quantumsensors,whichhavebeeninusefordecades,offerunprecedentedsensitivityandprecision.These

sensors,includingatomicclocks,magnetometers,gravimetersandaccelerometers,areusedinvariousapplicationssuchasnavigation,medicalimagingandgeophysics.However,achievingconsistentperformanceinreal-world

environmentsremainschallenging.Factorssuchastemperaturefluctuationsandelectromagneticinterference

canaffectsensoraccuracy.Toaddresstheseissues,theconvergenceoftechnologies,includingtheintegrationofcurrentmethodswithmachinelearning(classicalAI)techniques,isbeingusedtode-noiseandenhancesensorperformance.

Miniaturizationandpracticality

Developingcompactandpracticalquantumsensorsthatcanbeeasilydeployedinvariousapplications,suchas

medicaldiagnosticsandenvironmentalmonitoring,posesasignificanthurdle.Itiscriticaltobalancesensitivitywithsizeandpowerconsumptiontoensurethesesensorscaneffectivelyfunctionindiversefields–inapplicationssuchasdetectingdiseasesatanearlystageormonitoringairandwaterqualityinrealtime.

Ensuringthatquantumsensorsarestandardizedandcanbecalibratedaccuratelyisessentialforwidespread

adoption.Thisinvolvesdevelopingrobustmanufacturingprocessesandcalibrationtechniquesthatcanbereplicatedacrossdifferentdevicesandapplications.

Quantumcommunicationandsecurity

Standardizationandcalibration

Securityandreliability

Quantumcommunicationpromisestheoreticallyunbreakableencryption,butensuringthesecurityandreliabilityofquantumcommunicationnetworksoverlongdistancesischallenging.Factorssuchassignallossandnoisecancompromisetheintegrityofkeysgeneratedusingsuchprotocols.

Scalability

Buildingthenecessaryinfrastructureforquantumcommunication,suchasquantumrepeatersandsatellite-basedsystems,requiressubstantialinvestmentandtechnologicalbreakthroughs.Integratingquantumcommunicationnetworkswithexistingclassicalnetworksisalsoacomplextask.

Interoperabilityandintegration

Developingandstandardizingquantumcommunicationprotocolsiscrucialforinteroperabilityandwidespreadadoption.Thisincludesestablishinginternationalstandardsandensuringcompatibilityacrossdifferentquantumcommunicationsystems.

Source:Accenture

EmbracingtheQuantumEconomy:APathwayforBusinessLeaders9

Therapidpaceofinnovationinquantumtechnologiespresentsunique

opportunitiesforsafeguardingintellectualproperty(IP).Thefield’scompetitivenatureandthesignificantadvantagesconferredtoearlymoversaddcomplexitytoIPmanagementandIPlaw.TherisksandvaluetobemindfulofintermsofIPmanagementareasfollows:

TABLE2

Complexitiesofintellectualpropertymanagement

Patentrace

andfirst-moveradvantage

Cross-border

collaborationandIPprotection

Openscience

versusproprietaryresearch

Presently,theracetosecurepatentsisintense,withcompaniesandresearchinstitutionsvyingforthefirst-moveradvantage.However,IPlawisstillevolving,makingitchallengingtosustaintheseadvantages,asnewdiscoveriescouldrenderexistingpatentsobsolete.IPlawcoversvarioustypesofpatents,includingutilitypatents,design

patentsandplantpatents.However,theevolutionandenforcementofIPlawvarysignificantlyacrossdifferentjurisdictions,addingcomplexitytoglobalIPmanagement.13

Giventhatbothtalentandtechnologiesresideglobally,researchandbusinessoftenrequireinternationalcollaboration,raisingconcernsaboutIPprotectionindifferentlegaljurisdictions.EnsuringthatIPrightsarerespectedandenforcedgloballyisacomplexchallengethatrequiresrobustinternationalagreementsandcooperation.14

Balancingopenscientificresearchwiththeneedtoprotectproprietarytechnologiesisadelicateact.Whileopenresearchfosterscollaborationandacceleratesinnovation,italsoposesriskstoIPsecurity.Companiesand

researchersmustnavigatethislandscapecarefullytoprotecttheirinvestmentswhilecontributingtothebroaderscientificcommunity.15

Source:Accenture

Ensuringtheequitabledistributionofquantumadvancementsiscrucialfor

fosteringglobaldevelopmentandavoidingexacerbatingexistinginequalities.

AccordingtotheWorldEconomicForum’sQuantumEconomyBlueprintreport,16threepotentialapproachesensurethatthebenefitsofquantumtechnologiesareequitabilitydistributed,andthatexistinginequalitiesarenotworsened:

TABLE3

Accesstoquantumtechnologies

Equitabledistributionofquantumadvancements

Inclusivequantumecosystems

Useofresponsibleandsustainable

development

Notallquantumtechnologiesareaccessibleacrossregionsandeconomicsectors.Initiativeslikecloud-basedquantumcomputingservicesandinternationalcollaborationsattempttobridgethegap,butthisisnotalwaysthecase.17

Lackofunifiedstrategiesamongindustry,academiaandgovernmentcanhinderinnovationandsupportforstart-ups.Withoutstrongpublic-privatepartnershipsandadequatepreparationoffuturequantumexpertsbyeducationalinstitutions,thepotentialofquantumtechnologymaynotbefullyrealized.18

Developmentofquantumtechnologiesmustprioritizesustainabilityandsocialresponsibility.Ethicalimplications,suchasimpactsonprivacy,securityandemployment,needcarefulconsideration.Bothpublicandprivatesectorsmust

engageinproactivedialoguetocreateframeworksensuringthesetechnologiesbenefitsocietyandtheplanet.19

Source:Accenture

Thejourneytowardsthewidespreadadoptionofquantumtechnologiesis

undoubtedlychallenging,withnumerousrisksthatmustbemanagedthroughstrategicplanningandcautiousoptimism.Whilethepotentialrewardsare

immense,sotooarethecomplexitiesanduncertaintiesinherentinthisrapidlyevolvingf