Quantum Technology Adoption

🗞️ Needed report By CyberArk on a burning issue : identity security. A decisive element that will determine our ability to restore digital trust. 🔹 « Identity is now the primary attack surface. » Defenders must secure every identity — human and machine 🔹 with dynamic privilege controls, automation, and AI-enhanced monitoring 🔹and prepare now for LLM abuse and quantum disruption. Machine identities are the fastest-growing attack surface 🔹Growth outpaces human identities 45:1. 🔹Nearly half of machine identities access sensitive data, yet 2/3of organizations don’t treat them as privileged. Quantum readiness is urgent 🔹Quantum computing will break today’s cryptography (RSA, TLS, identity tokens). 🔹Transition planning to quantum-safe algorithms must start now, even before standards are finalized. Large Language Models include prompt injection, data leakage, and misuse of AI agents. So organizations must treat them as a new class of machine identity requiring monitoring, access controls, and secrets management. 🧰 What can we do? ⚒️ 1/ Implement Zero Standing Privileges (ZSP) • Remove always-on entitlements; grant access dynamically and just-in-time. • Minimize lateral movement by revoking privileges once tasks are complete 👥2/ Secure the full spectrum of identities • Differentiate controls for workforce, IT, developers, and machines. • Prioritize machine identities: vault credentials, rotate secrets, and eliminate hard-coded keys. 🛡️ 3/ Embed intelligent privilege controls • Apply session protection, isolation, and monitoring to high-risk access. • Enforce least privilege on endpoints; block or sandbox unknown apps. • Deploy Identity Threat Detection & Response (ITDR) for continuous monitoring. ♻️ 4/ Automate identity lifecycle management • Use orchestration to onboard, provision, rotate, and deprovision identities at scale. • Relieve staff from manual tasks, counter skill shortages, and improve compliance readiness. 5/ Align security with business and regulatory drivers • Build an “identity fabric” across IAM, PAM, cloud, SaaS, and compliance. • Tie metrics (KPIs, ROI, cyber insurance conditions) to board-level priorities. 6/ Prepare for next-generation threats • Establish AI/LLM security policies: control access, monitor usage, audit logs. • Begin phased adoption of post-quantum cryptography to protect long-lived sensitive data. Enjoy the read

Most enterprises treat quantum computing as a nerdy R&D curiosity. A mistake. Critical business problems, which are fundamentally constrained by classical computing today, are likely to be solved by 2030. With a hybrid combination of high performance computing and quantum approaches. Three sectors stand out: Pharma, Life & Material Sciences: Drug discovery is essentially a molecular simulation challenge. Classical systems approximate. Quantum systems are designed around quantum mechanics itself. Thus, it is not just about faster research, but the ability to model molecular interactions with higher fidelity. For protein folding, compound optimization, personalized therapeutics. Reaching quantum advantage first in pharma won’t merely accelerate pipelines — it will redefine them. Financial Services: Banks, insurers, stock exchanges operate enormous optimization, transaction or probability engines. E.g., for risk simulations, or fraud detections. Many of these problems scale exponentially in complexity. Quantum algorithms are particularly promising where classical Monte Carlo simulations hit practical limits. And, quantum computing is becoming a cybersecurity challenge. Post-quantum cryptography migration will likely be one of the largest infrastructure transitions the financial sector has seen for decades. Complex Logistics & Supply Chains: Airlines, shipping companies, manufacturers, energy grids, and global retailers all face combinatorial optimization problems. These systems already operate at scales where small efficiency gains create major business impact. Enterprises operating in these segments should get „quantum-ready“ now: • Identify quantum-relevant business problems • Work with quantum partners who advocate an open approach • Build internal quantum literacy • Develop hybrid workflows • Prepare your security stack for the post-quantum era. Additionally we need quantum computing companies delivering at production scale. IQM Quantum Computers calls this Production Quantum. Which is the delivery of a production-ready full stack solution rather than just a scientific solution for a specific problem. This is the same pattern we saw with #AI. The competitive gap formed before the technology fully matured. #Quantum readiness is becoming a strategic capability and critical timing question. For an increasing number of enterprises. Not only for R&D departments.

𝗞𝗲𝘆𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗕𝗠 𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗔 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗱: 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 🤍 [Anzeige] Hola from IBM in Madrid! Yesterday I’m was speaking to an exclusive C-suite audience about why technologies like Quantum & AI must be translated – not just developed. According to the latest research from the IBM Institute for Business Value, quantum advantage could emerge as early as 2026. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗡𝗢𝗪. Many leaders think: “Quantum computing? I have more urgent problems.” And I get it. We are still: • Building resilient AI infrastructures • Securing data architectures • Debating AI sovereignty • Training organizations to use AI responsibly But here is the key question: 𝗛𝗼𝘄? Through 𝗛𝘆𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 – giving leaders the flexibility to run AI anywhere (on-prem, cloud or edge). The infrastructure decisions made today are what make tomorrow’s quantum advantage possible. As technology becomes more powerful, governance becomes non-negotiable. & we are also witnessing a shift: From “AI that chats” to “Agentic AI that works”. From experimentation to trusted, agentic workflows embedded into real business processes. That future is not abstract anymore. It is a 2024–2025 business objective. And now Quantum too? 𝗬𝗲𝘀. Because in five years, you’ll be grateful you started today. Look closer and you’ll realize: 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺-𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁. From the IBM study, three realities stand out: 𝗜. 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 → Quantum-ready organizations are 𝟯𝘅 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 to belong to multiple ecosystems → 𝟳𝟵% say ecosystem partners accelerate adoption → 𝟳𝟳% say ecosystem data improves outcomes No company will win quantum alone. 𝗜𝗜. 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 → 𝟳𝟱% see semiconductor dependence as a strategic risk → 𝟵𝟯% say technology sovereignty must be factored into 2026 strategy Quantum compute is even scarcer, more complex and geopolitically sensitive. Access = advantage. 𝗜𝗜𝗜. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 Preparing does not mean building your own quantum computer tomorrow. It means: • Identifying high-impact use cases • Evaluating post-quantum cryptography • Building internal literacy • Securing the right partnerships — including a Hybrid Cloud architecture able to handle future data complexity • Experimenting before advantage becomes visible In this is why translation matters. And it is not only nice storytelling… It is 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗖 𝗘𝗡𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧. Grateful to collaborate with IBM to make quantum computing not only more powerful but actionable. Thank you Patrick Bauer!! 🤍🦾 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱. Now to you: Is Quantum on your 2026 agenda? IBM Partner Plus

This image is from an Amazon Braket slide deck that just did the rounds of all the Deep Tech conferences I've been at recently (this one from Eric Kessler). It's more profound than it might seem. As technical leaders, we're constantly evaluating how emerging technologies will reshape our computational strategies. Quantum computing is prominent in these discussions, but clarity on its practical integration is... emerging. It's becoming clear however that the path forward isn't about quantum versus classical, but how quantum and classical work together. This will be a core theme for the year ahead. As someone now on the implementation partner side of this work, and getting the chance to work on specific implementations of quantum-classical hybrid workloads, I think of it this way: Quantum Processing Units (QPUs) are specialised engines capable of tackling calculations that are currently intractable for even the largest supercomputers. That's the "quantum 101" explanation you've heard over and over. However, missing from that usual story, is that they require significant classical infrastructure for: - Control and calibration - Data preparation and readout - Error mitigation and correction frameworks - Executing the parts of algorithms not suited for quantum speedup Therefore, the near-to-medium term future involves integrating QPUs as accelerators within a broader classical computing environment. Much like GPUs accelerate specific AI/graphics tasks alongside CPUs, QPUs are a promising resource to accelerate specific quantum-suited operations within larger applications. What does this mean for technical decision-makers? Focus on Integration: Strategic planning should center on identifying how and where quantum capabilities can be integrated into existing or future HPC workflows, not on replacing them entirely. Identify Target Problems: The key is pinpointing high-value business or research problems where the unique capabilities of quantum computation could provide a substantial advantage. Prepare for Hybrid Architectures: Consider architectures and software platforms designed explicitly to manage these complex hybrid workflows efficiently. PS: Some companies like Quantum Brilliance are focused on this space from the hardware side from the outset, working with Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. On the software side there's the likes of Q-CTRL, Classiq Technologies, Haiqu and Strangeworks all tackling the challenge of managing actual workloads (with different levels of abstraction). Speaking to these teams will give you a good feel for topic and approaches. Get to it. #QuantumComputing #HybridComputing #HPC

Most quantum boardroom conversations end without an agenda. They end with a posture — "we're monitoring quantum developments," "we're taking it seriously". Neither statement produces a plan. The distinction matters because quantum creates three problem classes, each with a different urgency and a different cost of inaction. A generic posture misaddresses all three at once. The right response, for most leadership teams, has three parts. The first is to defend now. Post-quantum cryptography belongs on the enterprise risk agenda as a current priority. That means building visibility into cryptographic dependencies across the enterprise, identifying migration priorities, and mapping third-party exposure. This is the part of the quantum agenda that cannot wait. The second is to explore selectively. Most leadership teams do not need a wide portfolio of quantum pilots. They need a small number of focused efforts on high-value problems where the workload aligns with quantum's actual strengths — evaluated against the strongest available classical alternative. Each effort should be a targeted test: one specific problem, one clear classical benchmark, one honest evaluation. The third is to build options. For companies in simulation-relevant sectors — pharmaceuticals, advanced materials, energy — the right posture is modest investment in partnerships and early hardware collaborations. The goal is R&D workflows that are ready to integrate quantum subroutines when the technology matures. The companies that benefit most will not necessarily be those spending the most today. They will be the ones best positioned to move when the moment arrives. The most common failure on quantum is conflating the urgency of the three classes — treating all three as equally distant or equally immediate, when each has a different clock running. The organizations that get this right understand early which problem classes matter to their business, which ones to set aside, and what the distinction demands of them starting Monday morning. https://lnkd.in/gkymW7Xm

🛡️ The Quantum Clock is Ticking quietly: Is Your Financial Infrastructure Ready? The financial industry is built on a foundation of digital trust, currently secured by #cryptographic standards like RSA and ECC. However, the rise of Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computers (CRQC) poses an existential threat to this foundation. As we navigate this transition, here are 3 key pillars from the latest Mastercard R&D white paper that every financial leader must prioritize: 1. Addressing the 'Harvest Now, Decrypt Later' (HNDL) Threat 📥 Malicious actors are already intercepting and storing sensitive #encrypted data today, intending to decrypt it once powerful quantum computers are available. Financial Use Case: Protecting long-term assets such as credit histories, investment records, and loan documents. Unlike transient transaction data (which uses dynamic cryptograms), this "shelf-life" data requires immediate risk analysis and the adoption of quantum-safe encryption for back-end systems. 2. Quantum Resource Estimation & The 10-Year Horizon ⏳ While a CRQC capable of breaking RSA-2048 in hours might be 10 to 20 years away, the migration process itself will take years. Financial Use Case: Developing Agile Cryptography Plans. Financial institutions should set "action alarms" for instance, once a quantum computer reaches 10,000 qubits, a pre-prepared 10-year migration plan must be triggered to ensure infrastructure is updated before the "meteor strike" occurs. 3. Hybrid Implementations: The Bridge to Security 🌉 The transition won't happen overnight. The paper highlights the importance of Hybrid Key Encapsulation Mechanisms (KEM), which combine classical security with PQC. Financial Use Case: Enhancing TLS 1.3 and OpenSSL 3.5 protocols. By implementing hybrid models now, banks can protect against current quantum threats (like HNDL) while maintaining compatibility with existing classical systems, ensuring a smooth and safe transition. The Bottom Line: A reactive approach is no longer an option. Early adopters who evaluate their data's "time value" and begin the migration today will be the ones to maintain resilience and protect global financial assets tomorrow. #QuantumComputing #PostQuantumCryptography #FinTech #CyberSecurity #DigitalTrust #MastercardResearch

Quantum readiness is less about sudden disruption and more about cultivating skills, forging collaborations, and aligning strategies with evolving standards, so that businesses can gradually integrate these technologies into their long-term transformation paths. We should see quantum computing as a journey that requires methodical preparation. Finance, logistics, chemistry, and cybersecurity are already experimenting with hybrid models that combine classical and quantum systems. These early steps show that the transition will not happen overnight, but through structured phases of learning and integration. The priority for leaders is to identify processes where quantum can create measurable improvements. This means feasibility studies, pilots, and a roadmap that integrates quantum into IT environments in a sustainable way. At the same time, teams need training in principles, tools, and algorithms, because without this foundation, the technology remains an abstract concept. Collaboration is another essential layer. Partnerships with research hubs, vendors, and cloud providers open access to quantum resources that would otherwise remain out of reach. Alongside this, governance and security must advance with post-quantum standards, ensuring compliance and ethics are never secondary. The real challenge is continuous adaptation. Regulations and technologies will evolve, and strategies must remain flexible. This long-term perspective will define the organizations that are prepared to grow with the next wave of innovation. #QuantumComputing #DigitalTransformation #FutureOfWork

A significant inflection point for U.S. manufacturing is here. Google's recent "verifiable quantum advantage" breakthrough isn't a distant theory—it's a present-day reality with immediate strategic implications for industry leaders. Their Willow chip executed the Quantum Echoes algorithm 13,000x faster than a top supercomputer, moving quantum from abstract science to a verifiable engineering tool for solving real-world problems. What does this mean for your business? Key takeaways from our deep-dive analysis: 🔹 Materials Science: The paradigm shifts from slow, empirical discovery to rapid, predictive design. Imagine engineering stronger, lighter alloys or more efficient catalysts in silico, slashing R&D cycles from decades to months. 🔹 Supply Chain & Logistics: Go beyond static efficiency. Quantum optimization enables dynamic, real-time resilience, allowing supply chains to adapt to disruptions instantly—a powerful competitive differentiator. 🔹 Talent Metamanagement: The most critical bottleneck isn't hardware access; it's the severe quantum skills gap. Building a quantum-ready workforce through strategic upskilling and talent management is now a core competitive necessity, not just an HR function. The race for a first-mover advantage has begun. The question for leaders is no longer if quantum will have an impact, but how they will build the strategic roadmap and talent pipeline to lead the charge. #QuantumComputing #USManufacturing #Innovation #TechStrategy #SupplyChain #FutureOfWork #MaterialsScience #Leadership

The UK quantum opportunity, is Government enabling the leap? Today, in the UK House of Lords I asked the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Patrick Vallance what steps the Government are taking to ensure the UK is able to optimize the opportunities arising from quantum technology. The UK is in a strong position when it comes to quantum: ✅ Largest number of quantum start-ups in Europe, 11% of all companies globally and 2nd in terms of investment; ✅ Half of the quantum hardware and a third of the software start-ups are UK university spin outs; ✅ An Oxford Economics report suggests the technology will be responsible for a, potential, 7% increase in productivity for the UK by 2045, that’s some £212 billion [link to report in comments] So, a real growth opportunity for the UK. What precisely is the Government doing to enable the quantum leap? The Minister set out several points, highlighting the increased investment from 1 billion over 10 years to 1 billion over the next 4 years and stressing that the Government are focusing on skills, infrastructure and international partnerships. All positive moves but are they setting the sector for optimization? I think the Government need to be bolder, move from broad spread to higher stakes focused strategy, not least to address the gaps in infrastructure, private investment and procurement. I was delighted that in his "short answer" the Minister agreed with me, also indicating that we "will hear more about that shortly." Immediate action they could choose to take and that I hope will be included in any upcoming announcements:   🎯 Skills: adopt the recommendations of the 2025 quantum skills task force mentioned by the Minister [link to report in comments] 🎯 Scaling: make some deep bet investments, go beyond early R&D across the extended quantum stack to support self-sustaining, sovereign quantum capability. 🎯 Champion sovereign actors: actively prevent loss of local start-ups abroad, not least through meaningful access to capital. 🎯 Drive domestic demand: utilise the role of Government as first customer. Not just positive in terms of funding but equally significant in terms of signals sent, do this alongside incentivizing private sector adoption. 🎯 Support "Hybrid" Solutions: focus on software and algorithmic innovation that allows quantum to work alongside AI, particularly for near-term use cases. In short, I believe the Government must be bold and go deep in funding, scaling, skills and across the stack, and as first customer, the UK Government as quantum leading. As always, I welcome your thoughts.

Deloitte Urges Organizations to Prepare for Post-Quantum Cryptography Quantum Threats to Cryptography In its annual Tech Trends report, Deloitte highlights the looming cybersecurity threat posed by quantum computers. These fast-calculating machines could soon break traditional public-key cryptography, which underpins secure communications and data protection. To safeguard against this risk, Deloitte recommends that organizations take immediate steps to inventory and update their cryptographic systems with quantum-resistant algorithms. A Y2K-Like Urgency Deloitte likens the need for proactive quantum encryption updates to the urgency of addressing the Y2K problem in the late 1990s. Similar to how companies scrambled to fix date-related programming issues to avoid catastrophic failures, today’s IT teams must preemptively tackle the vulnerabilities quantum computing may introduce. The comparison underscores the scale and urgency of the effort required to prevent future security breaches. NIST’s Post-Quantum Encryption Standards The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has already released post-quantum encryption standards to guide organizations. Tech giants such as Apple, Google, and Microsoft have begun incorporating quantum-ready encryption into their products and platforms, signaling the importance of early adoption. Deloitte’s report emphasizes that businesses must align with these standards to future-proof their cryptographic infrastructure. Tools for Cryptographic Transition To aid organizations in this transition, Deloitte points to resources such as NIST’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence. This center offers cryptographic discovery and inventory tools that help identify outdated encryption methods and streamline the process of upgrading to quantum-resistant systems. These tools are critical for managing the complexity of securing vast digital infrastructures. The Need for Proactive Action Deloitte stresses the importance of taking immediate, proactive measures to address this emerging challenge. Organizations should prioritize assessing their cryptographic systems, investing in quantum-resistant solutions, and adopting NIST-recommended practices. Early preparation will minimize risks and ensure a smoother transition as quantum computing capabilities evolve. Conclusion The rise of quantum computing presents a significant threat to traditional cryptographic systems, requiring organizations to adopt quantum-resistant encryption. Deloitte’s comparison to Y2K highlights the urgency and scale of this challenge. By leveraging NIST standards, adopting available tools, and taking proactive steps, businesses can mitigate risks and prepare for a quantum-driven future in cybersecurity.