Quantum Advantage: IBM Focuses on Business Readiness, Not Records
The race for quantum supremacy is entering a new phase. According to a fresh report from the IBM Institute for Business Value, the very concept of "quantum advantage" is undergoing a fundamental transformation. It is no longer an abstract technological milestone, but a purely pragmatic ability to solve specific business problems more accurately, faster, and cheaper than classical methods. The market, it seems, is beginning to realize: without applied value, any quantum records will remain merely a laboratory curiosity.
What drives business?
IBM analysts surveyed representatives of key industries — from aerospace and finance to biomedicine and the public sector. It turned out that 60% of companies see quantum computing as a tool for solving complex business problems. Another 55% are preparing for future changes in computing strategy, and 54% want to accelerate innovation. These figures indicate that the corporate sector is no longer waiting for a "quantum miracle," but is actively seeking practical scenarios.
Barriers along the way
However, the path to quantum advantage is fraught with obstacles. The main brake is a catastrophic shortage of qualified personnel: 61% of respondents pointed to a deficit of quantum skills. Technological immaturity worries 56% of participants, and 46% see no clear timelines for the emergence of applied scenarios. This confirms my long-held thought: the quantum industry suffers not so much from "hardware" as from the lack of a bridge between scientific developments and real business processes.
Practical cases: from airplanes to genomics
The report is full of illustrative examples. Boeing, for instance, is already applying quantum methods in materials science and quantum chemistry for aircraft design and certification. Vanguard has been experimenting with hybrid approaches since 2022 to combat money laundering and optimize portfolios. E.ON, on the other hand, faced limitations of current equipment — shallow circuit depth and a limited number of qubits forced the company to revise its roadmap toward long-term preparation. Bosch went through a similar phase, focusing on algorithms for future fault-tolerant systems.
Biomedicine is of particular interest. Yonsei University uses quantum resources alongside classical supercomputers to study mitochondrial processes. Meanwhile, a consortium of the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the University of Oxford has already loaded the complete genome of the hepatitis D virus onto IBM's 156-qubit Heron processor. Reducing drug development timelines by even 10–20% means billions of dollars and millions of lives saved.
Ecosystem as a key factor
IBM rightly emphasizes the role of partnerships. Every second "quantum-ready" organization participates in at least one alliance involving business, government, and universities. Examples include Volkswagen, Bradesco, and Singapore. This is no coincidence: quantum computing requires enormous investments and an interdisciplinary approach. Lone players are doomed to fail here.
My conclusion: The quantum computing market is maturing. We are moving from an era of "demonstrating possibilities" to an era of "measurable value." Quantum advantage will not arrive suddenly for everyone — it will manifest itself selectively, industry by industry. And those who are already investing in skills, partnerships, and applied scenarios will find themselves in a winning position. The rest will have to catch up.