The world, and today’s workers, need quantum computing more than ever

Quantum computing could soon tackle many of the world’s toughest, most pressing problems.

That’s why the semiconductor legislation just passed by Congress is part of a $280 billion package that includes the… federal research dollars towards quantum computers.

Quantum computing will soon be able to:

• Save companies on fuel and lower their carbon footprint by enabling optimal routing.
• Lead to advances in materials science enabling homeowners to purchase and install highly efficiently solar cells to power their homes. This is valuable because extreme heat across the planet is causing record power consumption and straining power grids.
• Increase the accuracy of credit risk analysis, giving lenders additional confidence to lend money to underserved populations.

Solving the Unsolvable

The economy and the environment are clearly two important agenda items of the federal government. Congress in July was about to pass the most ambitious climate bill in US history. The New York Times said the bill would “pump hundreds of billions of dollars into low-carbon energy technologies — such as wind turbines, solar panels and electric vehicles — and put the United States on track to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to about 40% below 2005 levels by 2030.” .” This can help to further promote and accelerate the adoption of quantum computing.

Because quantum technology can solve many previously unsolvable problems, a long list of the world’s leading companies — including BMW and Volkswagen, FedEx, MasterCard and Wells Fargoand Merck and Roche — make significant quantum investments. These companies understand that transformation through quantum computing, which is advancing rapidly with groundbreaking technologies, coming soon. They want to be ready when that happens.

It makes sense for companies to invest in quantum computing because the risk is low and the payoff will be huge. As BCG Notes“No one can afford to sit on the sidelines as this transformative technology approaches several critical milestones.”

The reality is that quantum computing is coming, and it probably won’t be a standalone technology. It will be linked to the rest of the IT infrastructure: supercomputers, CPUs and GPUs.

This is why companies like Hewlett Packard Enterprise are thinking about how to integrate quantum computing into the fabric of IT infrastructure. It is also why Terra Quantum AG builds hybrid data centers that combine the power of quantum and classical computing.

Preparing for the quantum computing revolution

In the midst of these changes, workers must now start preparing. There will be a tidal wave of both quantum doctoral degrees and other talent — such as skilled quantum software developers — to contribute to quantum efforts.

Earning a PhD in a field relevant to quantum computing requires a multi-year commitment. But to gain valuable quantum computing skills, a developer doesn’t have to go back to college, take out a student loan, or study for years.

With modern tools abstracting the complexities of quantum software and circuit creation, developers no longer need PhD knowledge to contribute to the quantum revolution, allowing a more diverse workforce to help companies achieve quantum advantage. Just look at the coding contest winners that staged my company. Some of these winners were recent high school graduates and they delivered very innovative solutions.

By leading the software stack, the quantum algorithm design platforms enable developers to design advanced quantum circuits that could not otherwise be created. Rather than defining tedious low-level gate connections, this approach uses high-level functional models and automatically searches millions of circuit configurations to find an implementation that fits the resource considerations, designer-provided constraints, and the intended hardware platform. New tools like Nvidia’s QODA also allow developers to make quantum programming similar to how classical programming is done.

Developers will want to familiarize themselves with quantum computing, which will be an integral arrow in their metaphorical quiver of engineering skills. People who add quantum skills to their classic programming and data center skills will position themselves to make more money and be more attractive to employers in the long run.

Many companies and countries are experimenting with and adopting quantum computing. They understand that quantum computing is evolving fast and is the way of the future.

Whether you’re a business executive or a developer, it’s important to understand that quantum computing is advancing. The train leaves the station – are you going on board?

Erik Garcell is technical marketing manager at Classic.