2022 was a big year in quantum — but what news dominated the headlines?

--ListenShareInvestment in quantum computing has gone from strength to strength this year. A recent report from the World Economic Forum reveals public and private investments will total $35.5 billion by 2022 across a range of quantum technologies. Private investment is burgeoning with two-thirds of all funding coming since 2018.Signs in the public sector are equally strong, with the Danish, Canadian and German governments all upping investment in 2022, to name a few. Universal Quantum also won the biggest government contract to one quantum computing company to date — €67 million from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to build two machines over the next four years.This contract is expected to be a sign of things to come, as our CEO and co-founder, Dr. Sebastian Weidt, explains: “This contract is not only a major validation of our technology but also, we expect, the first of many major government investments in quantum computing. Given the huge economic and national security impact of this technology, I expect we will continue to see every major country with global ambitions to strive towards having a sovereign capability in quantum computing.”While she probably wasn’t in office long enough to read my six reasons Liz Truss needs a quantum computer blog post, The Institute of Physics also urged the UK Government to up its investment in quantum technologies.The “A Vision for Quantum Technologies in the UK” report states: “Quantum will transform global economies, so the government strategy must be bold and ambitious to position the UK as an innovation world leader and dominant player in the global quantum technologies market over the coming decades.”There’s a lot of noise in the quantum computing sector with pundits quick to both overhype and dispute the impact of quantum on the wider world.Two opinion pieces in the Financial Times (printed within a week of one another) presented polar opposite views. “The industry has yet to demonstrate any real utility, despite the fanfare, billions of VC dollars and three Spacs,” wrote Oxford University physicist Nikita Gourianov.“But those companies are obviously now in R&D mode,” counters Simon Benjamin, co-founder of Quantum Motion and professor of quantum technologies at Oxford. “Not every business will benefit from quantum computers, at least at first […] but to suggest that there will never be high-value applications, and that quantum computers will never repay their R&D investment, is wrong.”UQ’s VP of operations, Dr. Ilan Elson, also argues that the three recent Spacs from D-Wave, IonQ, and Rigetti, not to mention Alphabet spinning out its quantum tech group, are “an indicator of traction and maturity in the quantum computing industry.”A level head is required in the quantum industry and the amount of hype is not helpful, according to UQ co-founder and chief scientist Prof. Winfried Hensinger. “The field is making tremendous progress, so there is no need to overhype. Stakeholders overtake themselves with unrealistic claims and unrealistic time scales and it’s important that companies are more genuine and honest.”This year we’ve seen quantum computing companies focus on scalability more than ever before. Why? Because we need to reach the million-qubit scale to unlock the full potential of quantum computers and start solving ambitious, real-world problems.In January 2022, our quantum architect, Dr. Mark Webber, published a paper that demonstrated that we need millions of qubits to unlock real-world applications in both breaking Bitcoin encryption and simulating a molecule to boost fertiliser production.Today’s quantum computers are of the order of hundreds of qubits.The only thing we do know when it comes to who will win the race to one-million qubits and when is simple: we don’t know. And overblown claims to the contrary would damage this burgeoning industry.“Quantum computing is real, and organizations need to take notice now,” according to a recent report from the World Economic Forum, which seeks to avoid both over-excited hype and the downplaying of the potential impact of quantum computing. “Hype around quantum computing has created unrealistic assumptions about the technology, but in reality, it is far from maturity,”Of course, Universal Quantum believes its unique technology stands the best chance of scaling to the level where the real value of quantum computers can be unlocked, with a clear focus on scalability from day one. We also won a Business Start-Up Award from the IOP this year for “a great business idea founded on a physics invention, with the potential for business growth and significant societal impact.”But while Universal Quantum is confident (with both a €67 million contract this year and continued delivery on its multi-million pound Innovate UK contracts), the company also remains realistic that it will take time, innovation, and investment to scale quantum computers — and the right people to work in the sector.The year ahead in quantum computing will be big — both from a technology and recruitment perspective.But to reach this scale, quantum computing companies don’t just need a brilliant technical blueprint — they also need brilliant minds.“This [quantum skills gap] poses a challenge for the industry,” writes Owen Hughes in a recent article for ZDNet. “Governments and businesses are funnelling tens of billions of dollars into quantum computing, and yet progress in the industry will remain elusive unless the industry can recruit the people to make that happen.”Research from McKinsey also reveals that there is only one qualified quantum candidate available for every three quantum job openings.The recruitment challenge is just as significant as the million-qubit challenge — and it’s not just a case of trying to lure quantum Ph.D. candidates into a company (did I mention Universal Quantum’s amazing benefits package though?).There are also a lot of non-quantum roles that need filling — in everything from chip design to software development and business roles such as marketing and operations — and this is where classical tech professionals could fill the skills gap. A point that seems particularly pertinent given the recent wave of redundancies in big tech.Recruitment should not just be focused on tech professionals either. Universal Quantum also engaged with the next generation of scientists this year — helping to launch the Sussex STEM Challenge 2022 and also sponsoring the Quantum on the Clock video challenge, both of which saw great engagement with school students on the future of the industry.This engagement with young people about the benefits of a career in technology is vital — not just for quantum computing companies but the wider STEM industry.Hensinger believes the appetite is there. “I got into quantum computing because in primary school I decided I wanted to be a Science Officer on the Enterprise,” he told ZDNet.But the USS Enterprise’s loss is Universal Quantum’s gain as the company continues to push forward and grow its team and technology.I’m confident that the year ahead will be a success not just for Universal Quantum but also for the wider quantum computing industry — as long as we can all walk the balance between science fiction and science fact.Because while the hype is not helpful, quantum computing has the potential to boldly go where no man technology has gone before.If you want to keep up to date with the quantum industry and Universal Quantum, then sign up for our new newsletter The Quantum |1〉(due for launch in 2023) — in every issue, Universal Quantum’s experts explain the one thing you need to know about quantum computing.We’re also on LinkedIn and Twitter — and if you’d like to find out more about working for us, don’t forget to check out our careers page.Happy New Year!