Guide 03
Quantum technologies explained for executives
"Quantum" is not one technology but four: computing, sensing, networking and security. They mature at different speeds, and the one closest to real products is not the one in the headlines.
By Eva Galant · Updated October 19, 2026
| Technology | What it does | Where it stands | Start with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quantum computing | Solves certain problems in chemistry, materials and optimization that classical computers struggle with | Early; error correction is the main hurdle | Wasiq Bokhari |
| Quantum sensing | Measures motion, time and fields with extreme precision, e.g. navigation without GPS | Closest to real products | Karsten Pyka |
| Quantum networking | Connects quantum computers and distributes keys secured by physics | Quantum internet around 2030 (Diamanti) | Reza Nejabati |
| Quantum security | Protects data from future quantum attacks with new math (PQC) or physics (QKD) | Action needed now | Yaakov Weinstein |
What is quantum computing?
A quantum computer stores information in qubits, which can be built from very different physical systems: neutral atoms, trapped ions, superconducting circuits, photons or the spin of single electrons in silicon. Berkeley Lab backs several of these at once (Bert de Jong). Every qubit makes errors, so many imperfect physical qubits are combined into fewer reliable logical qubits. That is why a machine that gets 99.9% of operations right still isn't good enough for calculations needing millions of steps (Arne Laucht).
What is quantum sensing?
Quantum sensors use the sensitivity of quantum systems to measure the world. Karsten Pyka's team at TII is building an inertial sensor that tracks your trajectory without satellites; he names GPS-free navigation, vibration sensing and geological monitoring as the first realistic markets (Quantum sensors that navigate without GPS). Quantum clocks already matter for defense, says GQI's Joe Spencer (Q-Day already happened), and MITRE's Yaakov Weinstein calls sensors the most underrated field in quantum.
What is quantum networking?
Quantum computers will need to be connected to scale. Cisco has chosen to build that network layer, hardware, protocols and applications, rather than its own quantum processor (Reza Nejabati). Eleni Diamanti expects a real quantum internet around 2030 and argues that modular, networked machines will beat monolithic designs (Will Europe lose the quantum race?).
What is quantum security?
A large enough quantum computer could break the encryption that protects most data today. There are two answers: post-quantum cryptography (new math, in software) and quantum key distribution (physics, in optical fibre). See our guide Post-quantum security: what boards need to know.
Where should an executive start?
- Separate the four technologies when you read news or hear pitches; their timelines differ by decades.
- Ask about cost per useful result, not qubit counts (Thien-An Nguyen).
- Start your post-quantum security inventory now, because data stolen today can be decrypted later (Marc Kaplan).
- Listen to what CEOs should do in the next 12 months from Bill Vass and Michael Cuthbert.