Quantum technology for industries

Quantum technology in medicine and pharmacy

The rapid development of quantum technology is opening up new possibilities in various fields, particularly in medicine and pharmacy.

Quantum computers offer enormous advantages for medical research and development due to their immense computing power and ability to precisely simulate complex molecules and chemical reactions. In current development, potential drugs must first be synthesized and analyzed - this is both time-consuming and cost-intensive. In future, quantum computers will make it possible to simulate complex molecules and thus evaluate the efficiency and safety of new active ingredients at an early stage of development. [1] The technology is still in its infancy, but its importance is growing by the day.

Quantum sensors promise to revolutionize medical technology thanks to their extreme sensitivity and accuracy. Magnetic sensors make it possible to record the electrophysiological excitation of the heart without contact and in much greater detail than an ECG, and thus detect subtle signs of serious illnesses such as heart attacks or oxygen deficiency. Furthermore, such sensors have the potential to access the smallest signals of muscle contractions. Thus, quantum technology paves the way to a refined and natural control of prostheses. [2]

Sources:

[1] DIGITALE WELT Magazine

[2] Medical Applications | Bosch Quantum Sensing (bosch-quantumsensing.com)

Advantages of quantum computing: route and process optimization

The benefits of quantum computing can often be seen in the specialist departments. A prime example is the "optimization potential". Let's take the example of the traveling salesman who is only allowed to visit different locations once and has to find the shortest route. With just five customers to visit, there are 120 possible routes. With 32 cities, there are even 2.6*10^35 possible routes. Classic computers cannot solve such complex tasks in an acceptable amount of time. Additional parameters such as traffic congestion, roadworks, specified visiting times and journey times further increase the complexity.

This problem leads to the mathematical formulation of combinatorial optimization. With suitable algorithms, such tasks can already be solved today using so-called annealers (quantum or digital) with a considerable time advantage.

Quantum algorithm: one problem class - many industrial applications

Whether it's aircraft arrival and departure times, traffic flows in metropolitan areas, fleet management for car sharing on demand providers, logistics, robot lines or production steps in the automotive industry - the applications are diverse. With increasing complexity, one considers the embedding of an optimized process in a production line, the optimization of several production lines against each other and finally the optimization of an entire plant or several plants.

In the medium term: quantum advantage for industry

These issues are already being implemented. Today, they are still of manageable complexity and can be used as a learning tool, but the increasing qubit computing power promises a real quantum advantage for highly complex solution spaces in the future. By breaking down complexity, business models and use cases can also be generated, such as the handling of variants, which is already being used in practice by the first pioneers. In addition to the optimization of processes, there are also promising opportunities for material development, the simulation of chemical molecule properties, sensor technology, communication and much more in the future

Secure energy supply through quantum computers

Quantum computers can also help with a climate-neutral power supply. A hybrid energy supply consisting of hydro, wind and solar energy requires highly optimized energy management systems, as variable weather influences and a large number of decentralized generators of different sizes (from wind farms to PV systems on your own roof) have to be coordinated to ensure a reliable supply.

Computationally intensive optimization methods are used to find the most favorable combination of conventional and renewable power generators, storage capacities, transport losses and expected demand to ensure a secure supply. The complexity of the problem can be scaled. Determining the optimum number of generation units requires a certain amount of computing time, which grows exponentially with the number of variables taken into account.

Advantage over supercomputers

Quantum computers already have significant advantages over today's supercomputers when it comes to solving complex optimization problems. However, quantum computers are still at a very early stage of development. With increasing qubits, ever more complex problems can be calculated. Large energy companies in the USA have already been using this new technology for several years. In Europe, the topic is only just gaining momentum. The prospects are promising. Industry and experts should therefore keep an eye on all relevant information in order to make strategic decisions.

New paths to more efficient production

Problem sizes and complexities that bring conventional computers to their knees require new approaches. Quantum technology has a solution for this: the quantum computer. Current quantum computers can be realized on different basic technologies, which are sometimes more and sometimes less suitable for the respective problem class. A classic example from combinatorial optimization, where quantum-inspired computers already have an advantage over classical supercomputers, is the traveling salesman problem: A traveling salesman wants to visit customers in five cities and is looking for the optimal travel route, whereby he may only travel to each city once. With five cities, there are 120 possible routes. However, if the number of cities is increased to 32, the solution space grows exponentially to 2.6*1035 possibilities.

Big data? Many adjusting screws? - No problem for quantum computers!

This type of problem can also be applied in traditional production and engineering. For example, transport routes between production cells should be shortened or waste minimized when punching different moulded parts from a sheet. Sometimes it is worth taking a look at the respective specialist departments to identify possible applications for quantum computing. For example, a leading manufacturer of truck trailers has discovered that although the waiting time between the more than 100,000 work steps is planned to a minimum in a strictly sequential production process, this means that free capacity between the work units is not optimally utilized. By collecting orders at specific time intervals and planning them simultaneously, a quantum computer was able to calculate and optimize all possible combinations of work steps with regard to keeping delivery times and stock levels to a minimum.

Changing the future now with quantum technology

However, quantum technology is not just limited to computing. Developments in sensor technology, communication and software/simulation enable better navigation, more precise imaging processes and new business models. Quantum technology is not a dream of the future - the first applications are already on the market.

In addition to the numerous possibilities offered by quantum computing, there are also considerable dangers for our digital security. Our cryptographic encryption is based on two mathematical problems: the factorization of integers and discrete logarithms. Both can be solved by the Shor algorithm developed for quantum computers. Quantum-safe algorithms or communication based on quantum physical principles provide a remedy. [1]

Companies such as Apple, Microsoft and AWS have already integrated quantum-safe algorithms (PQC) into their systems [2]. It is also time for German companies to implement these in order to continue to guarantee the security of their data.

[1] https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0227773

[2] NIST Selects 12 Companies for Implementing Post-Quantum Cryptography - Nextgov/FCW