Quantum Use Cases & Applications

Quantum technologies are moving from lab to life—transforming industries with faster, smarter, and more secure solutions. From personalised healthcare to unbreakable military communications, discover how quantum is already solving real-world challenges.

Filters
Reset
Drug Discovery

Accelerating Drug Development

Quantum computing makes it possible to simulate molecular interactions on a quantum scale, cutting down the time and effort it takes to discover new drugs. By offering a more accurate view of how complex biological systems behave, it helps researchers spot promising drug candidates faster—speeding up the development of effective treatments.

What Businesses Could Do

Pharmaceutical companies like Roche or Pfizer could use quantum algorithms to simulate how a drug molecule interacts with proteins in the body—reducing years of R&D to months.

Real-Life Examples

Biogen partnered with 1QBit to explore quantum computing for drug molecule simulation, speeding up compound screening.
Source
Financial Services

Advanced Risk Assessment

Quantum algorithms can analyse complex market variables much more efficiently than classical methods, giving financial institutions deeper insights into risk and uncertainty. This enhanced processing power enables more accurate risk assessments and supports the development of smarter, more resilient investment strategies—helping firms navigate volatile markets with greater confidence.

What Businesses Could Do

Investment firms could use quantum algorithms for portfolio optimisation under uncertainty—minimising risk while maximising return, even during market volatility.

Real-Life Examples

Goldman Sachs is testing quantum approaches for complex financial modeling problems.
Source
Energy Sector

Advancing Renewable Energy

Quantum simulations are helping drive innovation in renewable energy by allowing scientists to model complex chemical processes—like those behind artificial photosynthesis—with far greater accuracy. This deeper understanding paves the way for breakthroughs in clean energy technologies that were previously out of reach.

What Businesses Could Do

By simulating photosynthesis at the quantum level, startups could develop artificial systems (like synthetic leaves or photoelectrochemical cells) that convert sunlight, water, and CO₂ directly into clean fuels such as hydrogen or methanol. These bio-inspired systems offer a way to store solar energy in chemical form, opening carbon-neutral pathways for powering transport, industry, and the grid.

Real-Life Examples

IBM researchers are simulating photosynthesis to develop innovative solar technologies.
Source
Defence & Security

Enhanced Surveillance and Detection

Quantum sensing is like turning up the volume on your radar. It can detect objects that were previously invisible—like submarines or stealth aircraft—by picking up on tiny changes in gravity or magnetic fields. That’s a game-changer for national security.

What Businesses Could Do

Quantum sensing allows for detection of stealth aircraft or submarines by measuring slight variations in gravitational or magnetic fields.

Real-Life Examples

In April 2025, Chinese scientists tested a drone-mounted quantum sensor system capable of detecting submarines with high sensitivity. This technology aims to overcome blind spots in traditional detection methods, potentially revolutionising undersea surveillance.
Source
Healthcare

Enhancing Medical Imaging

Quantum sensing technologies bring a new level of precision to imaging biomolecules, making it easier to detect and diagnose diseases early. This leap forward helps doctors create more targeted and effective treatment plans, ultimately leading to better outcomes for patients.

What Businesses Could Do

Medical device companies like Siemens Healthineers could integrate quantum sensors into imaging machines as well as add new quantum imaging machines, enabling earlier detection of neurological diseases.

Real-Life Examples

Startups like Qnami are already using quantum sensors for ultra-sensitive diagnostics in neurology.
Source
Oil & Gas Industry

Enhancing Subsurface Exploration

Quantum imaging techniques offer a much clearer and more accurate view beneath the Earth’s surface, making it easier to locate oil, gas, and mineral reserves. With better subsurface mapping, companies can target extraction efforts more precisely, reducing unnecessary drilling and minimising environmental disruption. This not only boosts efficiency and lowers costs but also supports more sustainable practices in the resource extraction industry.

What Businesses Could Do

Companies like Shell could use quantum sensors for high-resolution underground mapping, reducing the number of dry wells and lowering exploration costs.

Real-Life Examples

BP and Total are actively investing in quantum computing initiatives to improve seismic data interpretation.
Source
Manufacturing

Improving Quality Control

Quantum sensing brings a new level of precision to monitoring manufacturing processes by detecting anomalies at the atomic scale—far beyond the reach of traditional sensors. This heightened sensitivity allows manufacturers to catch defects early in the production line, reducing material waste, minimising costly rework, and consistently delivering higher-quality products. It’s a powerful tool for improving efficiency and maintaining strict quality standards in advanced manufacturing environments.

What Businesses Could Do

A precision parts manufacturer could deploy quantum sensors on the production line to detect atomic-scale defects, cutting down waste and recalls.

Real-Life Examples

Companies like Teledyne are exploring quantum-enhanced sensors for industrial inspection. At Analytica in Munich, the Stuttgart-based high-tech start-up Q.ANT is showcasing a compact particle sensor for industrial applications that can be used to monitor these parameters in real time.
Source
Healthcare

Non-Invasive Disease Detection

Imagine being able to detect a disease before symptoms even appear—without needles or invasive tests. Thanks to quantum sensors and imaging, this is becoming a real possibility. With higher resolution than ever before, early diagnosis is getting faster, easier, and gentler for patients.

What Businesses Could Do

Quantum sensors can provide ultra-precise imaging to detect diseases at early stages using non-invasive methods.

Real-Life Examples

Nanodiamond-based quantum sensors are being developed to detect infectious diseases rapidly through portable blood tests. These sensors utilise quantum properties to identify disease markers with high precision, potentially transforming point-of-care diagnostics.
Source
Energy Sector

Optimising Energy Grids

Quantum computing can help energy providers better manage how power is distributed by finding the most efficient mix of energy sources to meet demand. This means keeping costs and emissions low while making the grid more reliable and resilient. A big step toward a smarter, cleaner energy future!

What Businesses Could Do

A smart grid company could use quantum computing to balance load distribution across renewables, ensuring stability during peak times.

Real-Life Examples

Siemens and Energy Web Foundation are looking into quantum-enhanced optimisation for smart grid systems.
Source
Manufacturing

Optimising Material Properties

Quantum simulations help engineers design new materials with specific traits—like extra strength or better heat resistance. This opens the door to faster innovation in product development across a wide range of manufacturing industries.

What Businesses Could Do

Companies like BASF could leverage quantum simulations to design next-generation polymers that are both lighter and stronger—materials that traditional methods struggle to engineer. These advanced polymers could be game-changers for industries like aerospace and automotive, where reducing weight without compromising strength is critical for improving fuel efficiency, performance, and sustainability. By using quantum tools to explore molecular structures and behaviors in unprecedented detail, companies can accelerate the development of innovative materials tailored to real-world challenges.

Real-Life Examples

Volkswagen is experimenting with quantum computing to simulate battery materials for electric vehicles.
Source
Oil & Gas Industry

Optimising Resource Allocation

Quantum computing helps model the complex behavior of oil and gas reservoirs with far greater accuracy than traditional methods. By simulating how fluids move through porous rock layers, operators can better predict extraction outcomes, optimise resource use, and fine-tune drilling strategies. This leads to more efficient operations, higher profitability, and reduced environmental impact—making energy production both smarter and more sustainable.

What Businesses Could Do

Energy companies could model fluid dynamics inside reservoirs to make real-time decisions on extraction rates and avoid costly mistakes.

Real-Life Examples

ExxonMobil is working with quantum players like IBM to simulate molecular interactions relevant to resource extraction.
Source
Healthcare

Personalised Treatment Plans

No two patients are alike. Quantum simulations can help predict how someone might respond to a treatment before it even begins. This allows doctors to tailor therapies that are truly personalised—right down to the molecular level.

What Businesses Could Do

Quantum simulations can model patient-specific biological systems to predict treatment responses, enabling personalised medicine.

Real-Life Examples

Researchers have developed hybrid quantum neural networks that improve the prediction of how patients will respond to specific drugs. These models require less data than traditional methods and have shown a 15% improvement in predicting drug effectiveness, aiding in the development of personalised treatment regimens.
Source
Defence & Security

Secure Military Communications

In a world of cyber threats, secure communication is everything. Quantum communication doesn’t just encrypt data—it makes it virtually unhackable. For defense operations, it’s like having an invisible, invincible channel to send critical information.

What Businesses Could Do

Quantum communication ensures ultra-secure transmission of classified data, immune to interception. Nations could implement quantum key distribution (QKD) for diplomatic cables and battlefield commands.

Real-Life Examples

The U.S. Navy is exploring quantum communication technologies to enable secure communications for missile submarines. Quantum communication provides a highly secure method of transmitting and receiving data, making use of quantum theory to store information in delicate quantum states that collapse if unauthorised access is attempted.
Source
Financial Services

Securing Transactions

Quantum communication technologies offer enhanced security for financial transactions by using quantum encryption methods to protect sensitive data from cyber threats. In addition to quantum key distribution, financial institutions can begin adopting quantum-resistant algorithms to safeguard against future attacks enabled by Shor’s algorithm, which could eventually break today’s widely used encryption. Together, these approaches help build a more secure, future-proof framework for financial data protection.

What Businesses Could Do

Banks like HSBC could adopt quantum key distribution (QKD) to secure communications between branches, making them immune to future cyberattacks—even those powered by quantum computers.

Real-Life Examples

BBVA is exploring post-quantum encryption and secure data handling with quantum-safe technologies.
Source

The Future is Quantum

Curious how quantum tech could give you a competitive edge?
Let’s explore what’s possible, tailored to your industry and goals.