Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2025.  Read them in this 17th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.

By Simon Fried, VP, Business Development at Classiq

The United Nations named 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. The proclamation is meant to recognize 100 years of quantum mechanics. This announcement sets the stage for another exciting year for quantum computing, both in research and commercialization. As the technology continues to grow, there will be more hype than ever before - leaving all of us to wonder where we stand regarding quantum utility - or when a quantum computer can perform reliable computations beyond the capabilities of classical computing methods.

We can expect more articles and opinions in the mainstream media as journalists, scientists and companies weigh in on quantum technology's potential and current limitations. This will bring a mix of genuine breakthroughs and exaggerated claims, so it will be more important than ever to evaluate the claims being made.

With that said, there are a lot of exciting things happening in the industry that could lead to the following coming to fruition in 2025.

A new wave of quantum algorithms

Quantum algorithms will continue to rapidly evolve in 2025. We expect to see significant advancements in variational quantum algorithms (VQAs) and quantum machine learning (QML). These algorithms have already shown promise in areas like chemistry, optimization and data classification.

We're seeing leading indicators for hardware sales, which means more facilities will likely have quantum computers next year. We expect to see a ramp-up in efforts for HPC quantum algorithm development.  Further, we'll see more evolution in quantum HPC combination to build greater efficiencies and speed.

Increased government and private sector investment

2025 will see a surge in government and corporate investment in quantum technologies. Strategic concerns about national security and economic competitiveness will continue to drive this. We're already seeing many governments, like the U.S., UK, EU, Singapore, Japan and China, ramping up funding to accelerate quantum research. This investment focus is expected to grow as countries race to lead in this field.

We could expect to see increased collaboration between companies across the ecosystem as more research grants and private investments are made. As the investments are made public, the visibility of these companies will grow.

Growing claims of quantum utility

In 2025, we'll continue to see claims that quantum computers are beginning to deliver utility in real-world applications. While we'll continue to see promising steps towards this, it's unlikely that quantum computers will outperform the most powerful supercomputers across the board just yet. However, we've already seen promising use cases for quantum technology and will continue to see these grow next year.

It's important to remain cautious of the hype around these claims. While we will see leaps towards full quantum advantage, it will also take time to be fully applicable. The bottom line is that those who have prepared themselves earlier can utilize the quantum advantage sooner.

More qubits and better error correction

From a hardware perspective, we expect to see a heavy focus on increasing the quality and quantity of qubits in 2025. One of the key challenges the industry is improving is quantum error correction, which is essential for reliable quantum computation. Recent progress in error-correction protocols has laid the groundwork for hardware advancements that could significantly improve the fidelity and scalability of quantum computers.

A rise of on-prem quantum computing optimizes algorithms

Quantum computers are expected to become more accessible in 2025, with some hardware providers moving beyond cloud-based offerings and offering access to quantum computers in research centers and enterprises. This could lead to organizations leveraging quantum hardware alongside classical supercomputers focusing on hybrid quantum-classical solutions to problems.

As we continue to see more quantum machines acquired, the focus will turn to optimizing algorithms for these new environments. We can expect to see more research into how best to load and process data in quantum workflows, particularly in hybrid algorithms that bridge classical and quantum computing.

From advances in hardware and software to increased investments and public interest, 2025 is shaping up to be another pivotal year for quantum computing.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Simon Fried is VP of Business Development at Classiq and has worked in deep-tech start-ups for over a decade, bringing advanced electronics and circuit technologies to market. With a background in strategy consulting and an academic stint in the area of risk and decision-making, he's thrilled to be enabling leading companies by delivering Classiq's higher-level software development platform.