Quantum computing is quickly moving from the fringes and becoming a priority for enterprise digital transformation.
According to a survey of enterprise leaders commissioned by Zapata Computing, 69 per cent of global enterprises have already adopted or plan to adopt quantum computing in the near term, while 74 per cent of enterprise leaders surveyed agreed that those who fail to adopt quantum computing will fall behind.
Broken down further, 29 per cent of enterprises worldwide are now early adopters of quantum technology, while another 40 per cent plan to follow in their footsteps in the near future. Adoption thus far is highest in the transportation sector, where 63 per cent of respondents reported being in the early stages of quantum adoption. This may be a reaction to the ongoing supply chain crisis, which quantum could help relieve through its potential to solve complex optimisation problems common in shipping and logistics.
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Among early adopters, 12 per cent expect to achieve a competitive advantage with the technology within one year, while another 41% expect an advantage within two years. The findings suggest confidence among enterprise leaders that quantum computing is no longer a distant reality, but a near-term opportunity. Machine learning in particular was cited as the top near-term use case for quantum computing.
That said, hurdles remain. The most commonly cited challenge was the complexity of integrating quantum with enterprises’ existing IT stack. To solve these challenges, enterprises are turning to quantum vendors — 96 per cent said they need help from a trusted vendor to succeed in their quantum initiatives. However, 73 per cent are concerned about vendor lock-in. The results call for an approach to quantum adoption that prioritizes interoperability with the existing classical IT stack and forward compatibility with future quantum technology.
Zapata Computing collaborated with Wakefield Research in December 2021 to commission the survey of 300 leaders (CIOs, CTOs and other VP-level and above executives) at large global enterprises with estimated 2021 revenues of over $250 million, and estimated computing budgets over $1 million.
