University of Kwazulu-Natal

Quantum Computing Grows Up In 2026 As Progress Replaces Hype Msn

Bonisiwe Shabane
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quantum computing grows up in 2026 as progress replaces hype msn

Quantum Goes Practical in 2026: Businesses move beyond labs to real use cases in finance, healthcare, logistics, and research, delivering faster results and real value. Hybrid and Cloud Quantum Lead Adoption: Quantum works with classical systems via cloud access, making it affordable, flexible, and easier for companies to experiment and scale. Security and AI Drive Urgency: Quantum boosts AI performance while pushing governments and firms to adopt quantum-safe encryption to protect future data. Quantum computing is entering a defining phase in 2026. After years of research and testing, this powerful technology is being used in real workflows. Businesses, governments, and research groups start using quantum systems to solve practical problems.

The focus moves away from experiments and shifts toward real value. This change matters for every industry. Quantum computing works very differently from regular computers. It processes data faster and explores multiple possibilities simultaneously. Tasks that once took years may soon take hours. In 2026, quantum computing becomes easier to access, test, and understand.

When people in business and technology talk about quantum computing, it is typically in the future tense. But after 23 years working in the field, Murray Thom has an important message for business leaders: The future is already here. As vice president of quantum technology evangelism at D-Wave, Thom has watched quantum computing evolve from theoretical concept to practical business tool. But there’s still a lot of misunderstanding around quantum computing and its possibilities. “When I’m talking to executives around the world, they’re hearing a lot of confusing messages, and different messages from different people,” Thom says. “My role is to make complex things simple and help business leaders understand how to realize value from quantum computing today.”

Part of simplifying the complex is clearly separating genuine progress from market noise. Here are Thom’s takes on the prevailing trends and key things to watch for in quantum computing in 2026. 1. Companies get serious about energy consumption and its solutions. It’s no secret that AI’s energy consumption is a major issue, particularly as chief financial officers calculate the total cost of AI infrastructure. Perhaps unexpectedly, quantum computing may offer a solution.

New machines will use individual atoms as qubits The goal of the quantum-computing industry is to build a powerful, functional machine capable of solving large-scale problems in science and industry that classical computing can’t solve. We won’t get there in 2026. In fact, scientists have been working toward that goal since at least the 1980s, and it has proved difficult, to say the least. “If someone says quantum computers are commercially useful today, I say I want to have what they’re having,” said Yuval Boger, chief commercial officer of the quantum-computing startup QuEra, on stage at the Q+AI... This article is part of our special report Top Tech 2026.

Because the goal is so lofty, tracking its progress has also been difficult. To help chart a course toward truly transformative quantum technology and mark milestones along the path, the team at Microsoft Quantum has come up with a new framework. Credit: Bartlomiej K. Wroblewski / Shutterstock The “Quantum Index Report” is a comprehensive assessment of the technology and the global landscape, from patents to the quantum workforce. Quantum computing is evolving into a tangible technology that holds significant business and commercial promise, although the exact timing of when it will impact those areas remains unclear, according to a new report led...

The “Quantum Index Report 2025” charts the technology’s momentum, with a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of the state of quantum technologies. The inaugural report aims to make quantum computing and networking technologies more accessible to entrepreneurs, investors, teachers, and business decision makers — all of whom will play a critical role in how quantum computing... Quantum error correction (QEC) protects quantum information from noise and physical qubit faults. It improves program reliability by distributing logical information across qubit groups. Researchers identify it as the core requirement for future large-scale quantum computing due to the sensitivity of current hardware to environmental interference. In the first 10 months of 2025 alone, 120 new peer-reviewed papers covering QEC codes were published, surging dramatically from the 36 papers published in 2024.

Error correction development addresses practical limits in coherence, fidelity, and circuit depth on today’s devices. The potential of error correction affects both technical and commercial domains. Improved correction reduces hardware thresholds for early applications and supports stable execution of deeper circuits. Google’s 105-qubit processor Willow achieved exponential error suppression as encoded qubit arrays grew (from 3×3 to 7×7 lattices). It demonstrated the “below threshold” phenomenon that keeps the physical error rate below a critical value, allowing the QEC code to function correctly. Market studies indicate that scalable error correction is a key factor for the business viability of quantum computing platforms.

In 2024, the QEC market was assessed at USD 412.6 million, and it is set to reach USD 3.8 billion, growing at a CAGR of 28.4%. Quantum computing has once been a niche topic of research, but now it is rapidly moving towards finding a firm spot in commercial applications. Factors like advancement in hardware and components, AI-powered software applications, a mature business ecosystem, and an increase in enterprise investment in innovative solutions like quantum computing have set a strong foundation for quantum wave... In 2026, we can expect quantum to move from “potential technology” to “practical products”. Quantum computing has come a long way, and recent developments look quite transformative. Let's delve deeper and understand the emerging trends and the state of quantum computing in the near future, and what global organizations should be watching.

Technology leaders in industry acknowledge that quantum computing is moving from demonstration to deployment rapidly. The “noisy intermediate-scale quantum” (NISQ) era is evolving quite rapidly into an era where correction, stability, and larger-scale architectures are priorities. As per McKinsey and Company’s Quantum Technology Monitor 2025, the industry is moving towards improving coherence, connectivity, and overall system reliability rather than simply adding qubits. Specific developments in this sector include: In essence, quantum hardware is getting more advanced. Though we are still far from developing a fully fault-free machine, we have advanced to a great extent in making building blocks robust and future-ready.

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Quantum Goes Practical in 2026: Businesses move beyond labs to real use cases in finance, healthcare, logistics, and research, delivering faster results and real value. Hybrid and Cloud Quantum Lead Adoption: Quantum works with classical systems via cloud access, making it affordable, flexible, and easier for companies to experiment and scale. Security and AI Drive Urgency: Quantum boosts AI perfo...

The Focus Moves Away From Experiments And Shifts Toward Real

The focus moves away from experiments and shifts toward real value. This change matters for every industry. Quantum computing works very differently from regular computers. It processes data faster and explores multiple possibilities simultaneously. Tasks that once took years may soon take hours. In 2026, quantum computing becomes easier to access, test, and understand.

When People In Business And Technology Talk About Quantum Computing,

When people in business and technology talk about quantum computing, it is typically in the future tense. But after 23 years working in the field, Murray Thom has an important message for business leaders: The future is already here. As vice president of quantum technology evangelism at D-Wave, Thom has watched quantum computing evolve from theoretical concept to practical business tool. But there...

Part Of Simplifying The Complex Is Clearly Separating Genuine Progress

Part of simplifying the complex is clearly separating genuine progress from market noise. Here are Thom’s takes on the prevailing trends and key things to watch for in quantum computing in 2026. 1. Companies get serious about energy consumption and its solutions. It’s no secret that AI’s energy consumption is a major issue, particularly as chief financial officers calculate the total cost of AI in...

New Machines Will Use Individual Atoms As Qubits The Goal

New machines will use individual atoms as qubits The goal of the quantum-computing industry is to build a powerful, functional machine capable of solving large-scale problems in science and industry that classical computing can’t solve. We won’t get there in 2026. In fact, scientists have been working toward that goal since at least the 1980s, and it has proved difficult, to say the least. “If som...