The Quantum Economy: Technology, Talent, and the Race for Competitive Advantage

Quantum is moving beyond the laboratory, with advances in computing, sensing, communications, and security increasingly translating into economic opportunities for enterprises and governments. The Avasant-UCLA joint report, The Quantum Economy: Technology, Talent, and the Race for Competitive Advantage, provides a comprehensive view of this transition and the forces shaping the next phase of the quantum ecosystem. 

Developed as part of Avasant’s SPARQAI program, the report draws on Avasant’s research and extensive ecosystem engagements, as well as UCLA’s technical research expertise. It examines how quantum technologies are progressing from technical development toward commercial adoption. It covers the following aspects:  

• • Quantum foundations: Applications, adoption pathways, and considerations 

• • Technology landscape: Tech stack, commercial readiness, and road map 

• • Enterprise readiness: Evaluation frameworks, adoption maturity, and trends 

• • Market opportunity: Economic impact and industry applications 

• • Workforce outlook: Talent growth projections, emerging roles, and skills 

• • The global race: Investment, innovation, and tech sovereignty 

The following are some key findings from the report: 

• • Enterprise adoption: Over 25% of G2000 companies are now actively working on quantum technologies, up from less than 5% three years ago. 

• • Adoption mix: Quantum adoption is led by computing, which accounts for 69% of initiatives, followed by communications at 25% and sensing at 6%. 

• • Economic impact: Quantum technologies could add up to USD 1.4T to the global economy by 2035, led by BFSI, manufacturing, energy, and high-tech sectors. 

• • Workforce impact: The quantum economy is expected to create over 4.1 million jobs by 2035, growing at nearly 37% CAGR. 

• • Technology landscape: Superconducting leads hardware at 28%, Qiskit leads software at 70%, and EU leads hardware vendor concentration at 23%, but quantum leadership remains up for grabs. 

• • National readiness: Sovereignty is the next defining theme in quantum, yet only 30% of countries have a national road map. 

The report builds on Avasant’s earlier work on quantum, including its market study with NASSCOM on India’s quantum landscape, The Quantum Revolution in India: Betting Big on Quantum Supremacy, which examined technology development, workforce, startups, government initiatives, industry participation, and enterprise adoption.