Ecosystem Growth: Software frameworks like Qiskit (IBM), Cirq (Google), and PennyLane are maturing, letting researchers simulate and program quantum systems. Investment is booming—$2.35 billion globally in 2023 alone, per McKinsey—spanning hardware, algorithms, and talent. Over 30 countries have national quantum initiatives, with the U.S., China, and EU leading.
Applications in Play: Today, quantum computers are mostly research tools. They’re being tested for proof-of-concept work in chemistry (e.g., simulating small molecules like H₂ or LiH), optimization (e.g., traffic flow), and cryptography (e.g., attacking weaker encryption). Commercial use is embryonic, limited to hybrid quantum-classical setups.