University of Kwazulu-Natal

Quantum Technology In 2025 Real World Applications And Industry Impact

Bonisiwe Shabane
-
quantum technology in 2025 real world applications and industry impact

When it comes to quantum technology (QT), investment is surging and breakthroughs are multiplying. The United Nations has designated 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, celebrating 100 years since the initial development of quantum mechanics. Our research confirms that QT is gaining widespread traction worldwide. McKinsey’s fourth annual Quantum Technology Monitor covers last year’s breakthroughs, investment trends, and emerging opportunities in this fast-evolving landscape. In 2024, the QT industry saw a shift from growing quantum bits (qubits) to stabilizing qubits—and that marks a turning point. It signals to mission-critical industries that QT could soon become a safe and reliable component of their technology infrastructure.

To that end, this year’s report provides a special deep dive into the fast-growing market of quantum communication, which could unlock the security needed for widespread QT uptake. Quantum technology encompasses three subfields: Our new research shows that the three core pillars of QT—quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum sensing—could together generate up to $97 billion in revenue worldwide by 2035. Quantum computing will capture the bulk of that revenue, growing from $4 billion in revenue in 2024 to as much as $72 billion in 2035 (see sidebar “What is quantum technology?”). While QT will affect many industries, the chemicals, life sciences, finance, and mobility industries will see the most growth. McKinsey initiated its annual quantum technology report in 2021 to track the rapidly evolving quantum technology landscape.

We analyze three principal areas of the field: quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum sensing. The analysis is based on input from various sources, including publicly available data, expert interviews, and proprietary McKinsey analyses. The conclusions and estimations have been cross-checked across market databases and validated through investor reports, press releases, and expert input. Because not all deal values are publicly disclosed and databases are updated continuously, our research does not provide a definitive or exhaustive list of start-ups, funding activities, investment splits, or patents and publications. Quantum computing is no longer a distant promise—it’s making tangible waves across industries in 2025. As the technology matures, companies, governments, and research institutions are shifting from theory to action, deploying quantum solutions that tackle some of the world’s most complex challenges.

Here’s how the quantum surge is reshaping sectors, with real-world examples and sources to back it up. The integration of quantum processors with classical high-performance computing (HPC) is unlocking new frontiers in optimization, simulation, and machine learning. This hybrid approach is now a commercial reality, not just a research aspiration. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Quantum Brilliance partnered in 2024 to advance hybrid quantum-classical computing, leveraging diamond-based quantum accelerators alongside traditional supercomputers. This collaboration aims to boost performance for scientific simulations and industrial optimization, marking a pivotal shift from lab prototypes to operational deployments (The Quantum Insider). Error correction remains the linchpin for scaling quantum computers.

In 2025, more organizations are experimenting with logical qubits and advanced error correction schemes, moving quantum systems closer to fault tolerance. IBM’s 1,121-qubit “Condor” processor, launched in late 2024, incorporates advanced error correction protocols, enabling longer and more complex computations. This breakthrough is already being used by research partners in chemistry and materials science to simulate molecular interactions previously out of reach (Moody’s). Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just We use cookies to provide and improve our services. By using our site, you consent to cookies.

Learn more about our privacy policy Can Jeff Bezos’s AI Vision RIVIAL Open AI & Google? What was once a niche scientific curiosity is now delivering measurable value. In 2025, quantum technology made a leap from lab benches to industry boardrooms and production lines. Companies report quantum-inspired gains in telecom networks, logistics optimization, AI-hybrid systems, and sensing technologies. With major players aligning hardware roadmaps, enterprise pilots scaling up, and investment flooding the ecosystem, this year has undoubtedly earned the label of the 'real-world quantum' inflection point.

Quantum technology in 2025 transitioned from research to practical industry applications, driving measurable business value. Hybrid quantum-classical solutions, quantum sensing, and quantum-safe cryptography are enabling domain-specific, real-world optimizations. Investment and enterprise adoption surged, signaling 2025 as a turning point for commercial quantum technology. What was once a niche scientific curiosity is now delivering measurable value. In 2025, quantum technology made a leap from lab benches to industry boardrooms and production lines. Companies report quantum-inspired gains in telecom networks, logistics optimization, AI-hybrid systems, and sensing technologies.

With major players aligning hardware roadmaps, enterprise pilots scaling up, and investment flooding the ecosystem, this year has undoubtedly earned the label of the ‘real-world quantum’ inflection point. Quantum computing is transitioning from theoretical research to practical business applications in 2025. While still in its early stages, quantum technology is already delivering measurable value in specific use cases and industries, creating new opportunities for competitive advantage. Quantum computers process information using quantum bits (qubits) that can exist in multiple states simultaneously, unlike classical bits that are either 0 or 1. This quantum superposition, combined with entanglement and interference, enables quantum computers to solve certain types of problems exponentially faster than classical computers. The key advantage lies not in general computing power, but in specific problem domains where quantum algorithms provide significant speedups.

These include optimization problems, cryptographic applications, molecular simulation, and certain machine learning tasks. Quantum computers in 2025 remain specialized tools rather than general-purpose computing platforms. Current systems require extreme cooling, have limited qubit counts, and experience quantum decoherence that limits computation time. However, significant progress has been made in error correction, qubit stability, and programming frameworks. Major technology companies and startups are offering cloud-based quantum computing services, making the technology accessible without massive infrastructure investments. Quantum computing has long been hailed as the next great leap in information technology.

In 2025, this once-theoretical field is edging into practical reality. With major breakthroughs in error correction, hardware stability, and cloud access, quantum computers are now tackling problems that were once impossible for even the fastest supercomputers. From optimizing supply chains to accelerating medical research, quantum computing is shifting from hype to real-world applications (IBM). Unlike classical computers, which use bits (0s and 1s), quantum computers use qubits that can exist in multiple states simultaneously thanks to superposition. Qubits can also be entangled, enabling faster, parallel processing. This allows quantum systems to evaluate vast numbers of possibilities at once (Nature).

Healthcare: Quantum simulations accelerate drug discovery by modeling molecular interactions with unprecedented accuracy. Finance: Banks and hedge funds are using quantum algorithms to optimize portfolios and risk management. Climate science: Quantum systems are improving weather predictions and modeling carbon capture strategies (Reuters). Quantum computers remain expensive, complex, and highly sensitive to interference. Scaling to millions of stable qubits is still years away. Yet, progress in quantum error correction and new qubit designs suggests the technology is on a steady path forward (McKinsey).

By the 2030s, quantum computing may unlock revolutionary breakthroughs in AI, logistics, and clean energy. In 2025, it remains in its early commercial phase but is proving its ability to deliver value in select industries. The quantum race among global tech leaders, startups, and governments is accelerating rapidly (IEEE). In 2025, the once-futuristic realm of Quantum Computing is stepping out of the labs and into tangible, real-world applications. While universal fault-tolerant quantum computers are still some years away, the significant advancements in noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices and hybrid quantum-classical algorithms are already making a profound impact across various industries. Businesses, researchers, and governments globally are investing heavily, recognizing that Quantum Computing is not just an incremental improvement but a paradigm shift with the potential to solve problems previously considered intractable.

This article will delve into five real-world applications of Quantum Computing that are poised to revolutionize various sectors by 2025, demonstrating its burgeoning power to tackle some of the world’s most complex challenges. One of the most profound impacts of Quantum Computing in 2025 is in the field of pharmaceuticals and medicine. Drug discovery is an incredibly complex, time-consuming, and expensive process, often limited by the inability of classical computers to accurately simulate molecular interactions at the quantum level. Leading pharmaceutical companies are already partnering with Quantum Computing developers. For example, Pfizer has collaborated with IBM’s Quantum Network to accelerate the search for new antibiotics and antivirals, using quantum molecular modeling to explore chemical spaces beyond classical limits (DoFollow to IBM Quantum Network). Similarly, startups like ProteinQure are using quantum approaches to design next-generation protein-based drugs.

Researchers are also using quantum computing to model complex cancer-related protein structures, potentially leading to groundbreaking oncology treatments. By 2025, these efforts are expected to significantly shorten drug development cycles and reduce associated costs, bringing novel therapeutics to market faster and making personalized treatments more accessible. The financial sector, characterized by its reliance on complex algorithms, vast datasets, and the need for rapid, accurate calculations, is another prime candidate for disruption by Quantum Computing. In 2025, quantum algorithms are beginning to offer significant advantages in areas like portfolio optimization, risk analysis, and fraud detection.

People Also Search

When It Comes To Quantum Technology (QT), Investment Is Surging

When it comes to quantum technology (QT), investment is surging and breakthroughs are multiplying. The United Nations has designated 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, celebrating 100 years since the initial development of quantum mechanics. Our research confirms that QT is gaining widespread traction worldwide. McKinsey’s fourth annual Quantum Technology Monitor covers...

To That End, This Year’s Report Provides A Special Deep

To that end, this year’s report provides a special deep dive into the fast-growing market of quantum communication, which could unlock the security needed for widespread QT uptake. Quantum technology encompasses three subfields: Our new research shows that the three core pillars of QT—quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum sensing—could together generate up to $97 billion in revenue...

We Analyze Three Principal Areas Of The Field: Quantum Computing,

We analyze three principal areas of the field: quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum sensing. The analysis is based on input from various sources, including publicly available data, expert interviews, and proprietary McKinsey analyses. The conclusions and estimations have been cross-checked across market databases and validated through investor reports, press releases, and expert i...

Here’s How The Quantum Surge Is Reshaping Sectors, With Real-world

Here’s how the quantum surge is reshaping sectors, with real-world examples and sources to back it up. The integration of quantum processors with classical high-performance computing (HPC) is unlocking new frontiers in optimization, simulation, and machine learning. This hybrid approach is now a commercial reality, not just a research aspiration. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Quantum Br...

In 2025, More Organizations Are Experimenting With Logical Qubits And

In 2025, more organizations are experimenting with logical qubits and advanced error correction schemes, moving quantum systems closer to fault tolerance. IBM’s 1,121-qubit “Condor” processor, launched in late 2024, incorporates advanced error correction protocols, enabling longer and more complex computations. This breakthrough is already being used by research partners in chemistry and materials...