The talent war
And how industry will be affected
The newsletter on QIS & Quantum Computing for business executives and investors in North America and Europe:
Vast parts of North America and Europe have been suffering from record heat and as we all know Quantum Computers like it cold - our newsletter, however, operates at all temperatures, especially since there is no pause to announcements coming out.
What business executives need to know about Quantum
What investors need to know about Quantum
What Americans need to know about Europe in Quantum
What Europeans needs to know about North America in Quantum
The SciFi Corner
We love to get your feedback, praise and scolding (when so deserved) - please email me at andre@estrapadus.com or on www.interference.consulting
What business executives need to know about Quantum
Two recent articles from Forbes and from Fortune point out that there is a talent shortage in Quantum Computing since there isn’t a direct pipeline from universities, and there’s fierce competition for the limited workforce that is available Why should you care? Because QC is a whole new ball game rooted in new fundamental science and with a new language. Or, in other words, you cannot just send your developers, innovators and middle managers to some seminar and expect them to "know Quantum". To understand QC, and hence be able to build with it, innovate on it and commercialize around it, takes a rudimentary understanding of the underlying science, the algorithms, the linear algebra and the software to translate it all - a body of knowledge that takes many months if not years to barely begin to master. So if you are worried about, let's say, QC breaking your bank's RSA encryption 10 years down the road, well then you better start hiring soon.
The Chemicals industry is often hailed as being the first to get disrupted by QC, potentially within the next 3 years or so. McKinsey, in best consulting style, offers an indepth look at applications of QC in the Chemicals industry Why should you care? One, because you work in Chemicals and will be disrupted by QC very soon. Two, because you don't work in Chemicals but wonder when you will be disrupted by QC - in that case, this article provides a neat outline on how to think about disruption when it comes to QC, which isn't black or white, today, tomorrow or in 5 years but gradual yet industry altering as we build higher performing machines
Another example where QC is starting to make a difference is battery research. This recently published study shows a cooperation between IBM and Mitsubishi to increase battery efficiency Why should you care? Because we are starting to see a clear transition from theory to practice with peer reviewed studies delivering real world applications of QC - the revolution has begun. In this paper specifically, while it is only a simulation of some properties of how a battery works, it also is clear evidence that we now have the intellectual, mathematical and software frameworks to deliver real world value.
What investors need to know about Quantum
A new player has entered the research arena for QC and published a market size report and projections for the next few years Why should you care? Not because they did a good job, personally I am skeptical since they lack an understanding of the technology and often simply extrapolate from other markets such as supercomputing but judge for yourself. The real reason is that this is another clear sign of QC's climb on the tech maturity curve - an expanding ecosystem, new service providers and future projections evidence that QC is now a serious enterprise technology. Additionally, it shows that there is significant market demand for QC and that your colleagues are already doing their due diligence on potential investments.
What Americans need to know about Europe in Quantum
Startups are beginning to sprout like mushrooms, claims this article about the EU ecosystem Why should you care? Because it's true. Ok, so startups in Europe (in Quantum or beyond) are not sprouting like mushrooms but there has been a significant uptick in european, federal and local initiatives to support Quantum. More importantly, folks are starting to get organised, building alliances, cross university and border projects, and setting ambitious goals. Europe is staking its claim as a QC leader
One example is Germany's Quantum Future Award 2019 Why should you care? It's an effort by the German government to shine a spotlight on practical research applications within QC, with the overarching goal to foster a stronger community and better awareness for said research and its potential applications. Germany means business when it comes to QC.
What Europeans need to know about North America in Quantum
In the USA efforts to commercialize QC and make current technology applicable are gaining momentum, as shown in this example of a cooperation between industry and academia Why should you care? Because Americans get @#!$ done! Clearly aware of the current hardware limits of latest QC's, but acutely tuned into the market and economy, they are willing and able to dedicate significant resources away from basic research to deliver real economic value, in turn sustaining interest and funding, and ultimately growing the overall pie. Does Europe need more industrial champions?
An effort to build a new research hub in the USA to collaborate with existing ones and contribute breakthrough science on its own Why should you care? Because of the tremendous speed with which Americans are able and willing to build new centers of excellence, with full funding and world class resources. When you see an opportunity, seize it.
The SciFi corner... just for fun!
A new photo has been making the rounds of the QC community and caused some rather loud noise. Some say it's a scam because you cannot take a photo of entangled photons, other say it's the work of a higher power. What is shown in the - rather unspectacular black and white photograph - is two entangled photons. Surely you've heard of entanglement by now, the "spooky action at a distance" as Einstein called it, which allows two photons that are seemingly out of touch to take on identical properties. One of the foundational concepts behind Quantum Computers, that drives the quantum speedup these machines are supposed to deliver. We had the theory proven, we had the experiments confirmed, now (if you believe it) we have a picture of it - a phenomena that's so abstract and weird, believed to be unreal by many, captured by a lense for all to see. Are you spooked?
Our research and social media reach
- Quantum Computing, non technical introduction LINK
- NYC QC ecosystem overview LINK
- The Quantum Computing vendor quadrant LINK
- QIS landscape report LINK
- QIS cognitive market analysis LINK
New and newsworthy in QIS
Quantum sensor breakthrough using naturally occurring vibrations in artificial atoms by Phys.org
Air Force, IBM Form Quantum Computing Research Partnership by GovCon Wire
Seminar: Introduction to Quantum Computing & Programming by Entanglement Institute
Quantum Supremacy Is Coming: Here’s What You Should Know by Quanta Magazine
Quantum Darwinism, an Idea to Explain Objective Reality, Passes First Tests by Quanta Magazine
How the quest for a scalable quantum computer is helping fight cancer by Phys.org