The Quantum Daily, a website that is dedicated solely to the coverage of the news and developments in the world of quantum computing, has recently completed its Quantum Technologies Survey. The data from this survey came in the form of responses from 35 leaders in the world of quantum, and covered topics including, "key quantum computing milestones, use cases, and investment in the space."
In terms of technical milestones that will have the most impact on the world of quantum computing, over 50% of respondents thought that one of two types of vanguard technology would have the greatest impact on the field, with 31% citing superconducting, and over 20% identifying trapped ion computing. But computing power alone does not hold the promise for utilizing quantum to solve the world's toughest problems, it takes applications to transform that power into results.
In discussing how quantum will be used to create real world solutions, The Quantum Daily reports that they, "consistently voted Chemistry and Pharma applications - where problems are quantum mechanical by nature - as the most likely to benefit from early stage practical quantum computers." In this regard, the survey found that POLARISqb was one of the companies most often cited as having an impact in this space. Building upon our use of annealing technology to identify potential treatment molecules for Dengue fever, we have continued to research new ways to apply our suite of software across quantum platforms, opening up new pathways for drug discovery and accelerating the process by over 75%. By revolutionizing the way protein analysis and computational chemistry can take place in a quantum environment, we create the potential for developing cures and treatments for a wide variety of ailments on a much faster timeline.
One area where the survey detailed a fairly uncharted path was for the future of funding for the quantum sector. While there was positive trend with 40% of respondents seeing increased government investment being offered to companies within the sector, investments that will undoubtedly result in further advancement of both technological development and a wider array of quantum applications in the future, private investment was seen as lagging behind by respondents, with only 20% saying that they see funding for quantum applications coming from venture capital firms. The sector overall was seen by over 60% of respondents of having valuations that are accurate to their potential, but the same percentage reporting that they believe there is currently not enough net investment in quantum computing and applications.
Though 2020 has offered challenges in various ways, the burgeoning growth in the quantum field has only accelerated during this period. We are honored to be recognized as an innovator in the field of quantum drug discovery and the use of quantum technologies for computational chemistry, and it is our hope that through our applications and projects we are able to reach the lofty goals of our company, to cure all disease, for all people.
