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Quantum Computing Can Serve as a Multifaceted Tool to Help Scientists and Engineers Take on the Challenge of Ensuring a Sustainable Future, Say Industry Figures.

A new documentary – Quantum Technology | Our Sustainable Future from The Quantum Daily, developed in partnership with Oxford Instruments Nanoscience – was released today with a call from industry experts to leverage the power of quantum computing in addressing the world’s urgent sustainability challenges.

The documentary features insights from leading quantum computing experts and tech giants such as Google, IBM and Intel, as well as start-ups such as SeeQC and PsiQuantum regarding how quantum technologies could help address key sustainability issues, including:

• reduce the energy use of datacenters and servers that underpin today’s digital world
• reduce the energy required for complex computations even as demand continues to rise in AI, optimization, simulation and more
• accelerate the development of new applications to address global sustainability such as carbon capture and battery development
• minimize quantum computing’s own potential environmental impact

Quantum computers use quantum phenomena such as superposition and entanglement to perform computations that can vastly outperform classical computers at certain tasks. The tasks quantum computers can do may lead to solutions for humankind’s most pressing challenges. Nonetheless, there continues to be significant obstacles to overcome before these machines are powerful enough to meet their expected potential.

“We have one planet, and these conversations must happen now,” said Stuart Woods, Managing Director of Oxford Instruments NanoScience, a leading provider of high technology material science tools and systems for research and industry. “The broad participation of industry thought leaders in this film shows the support and the importance of prioritizing sustainability in quantum technologies.”

The documentary features an array of leading voices in quantum computing, including many techUK members:

• Alan Ho: Head of Product, Google Quantum AI
• Alexandre Blais: Advisory Board, Q4Climate
• Carl Williams: Deputy Director, Physical Measurement Laboratory at NIST
• Flaviu Cipcigan: Research Staff Member, IBM Research
• Hui Zhang: General Manager, Origin Quantum
• Ilana Wisby: CEO, Oxford Quantum Circuits
• Jingen Xiang: CEO, SpinQ
• John Levy: CEO, SeeQC
• Nicolas Sawaya: Research Scientist, Intel Labs
• Pete Shadbolt: CSO, PsiQuantum
• Richard Murray: CEO, ORCA Computing
• Stuart Woods: Managing Director, Oxford Instruments NanoScience
• Tamar Eilam: IBM fellow, IBM’s Thomas J Watson Research Centre

The global premiere of Quantum Technology | Our Sustainable Future is available for viewing now on YouTube here.

techUK also have a quantum commercialisation campaign which has been emphasising the potential sustainability impact of quantum. You can re-watch our session on quantum sustainability alongside IBM, Atos and Riverlane here.