2025: A Turning Point in the Quantum Computing Industry – Accelerated Commercialization and Changes in Global Competition
Editor
The year 2025 marks a historic turning point for the quantum computing industry. IBM’s announcement of the 1121-qubit Flamingo chip in October and Google’s unveiling of the Willow chip in December have not only achieved technical milestones but have also intensified the global race for the commercialization of the quantum computing ecosystem. Notably, Google’s Willow chip has surpassed the limitations of existing quantum error correction, providing tangible evidence of ‘quantum supremacy,’ which has sent shockwaves throughout the industry. This technological breakthrough signals explosive growth, with the global quantum computing market size projected to expand from $1.8 billion in 2024 to $12 billion by 2030, an increase of 40%.
The acceleration of quantum computing commercialization is particularly evident in the financial services and pharmaceutical industries. JP Morgan Chase began implementing quantum algorithms for portfolio optimization and risk management in the first half of 2025, while Goldman Sachs announced achieving a computation speed 1000 times faster in derivatives pricing. In the pharmaceutical sector, Roche and Bayer are leveraging quantum computing for molecular simulations in drug development, reducing the development period from an average of three years to 18 months. These real business outcomes demonstrate that quantum computing is no longer a distant future technology but a current, viable innovation tool.
As global tech companies fiercely compete in quantum computing investments, IBM and Google are leading the pack. IBM, headquartered in Armonk, New York, is investing $1.5 billion in expanding its quantum network in 2025, establishing partnerships with over 200 institutions worldwide. IBM’s quantum network has grown into a cloud-based platform accessible to more than 450 institutions across 70 countries, processing over 100,000 quantum tasks monthly. Alphabet, Google’s parent company based in Mountain View, California, is recognized for reducing quantum error rates by over 50% with the Willow chip, bringing practical quantum computing closer to reality.
Microsoft is attempting to differentiate itself in the quantum computing market with a unique approach. Based in Redmond, Washington, Microsoft focuses on topological qubit technology and offers an integrated environment through its Azure Quantum cloud platform, providing access to various quantum hardware. In 2025, the number of Azure Quantum users increased by 180% from the previous year, reaching 250,000, with high utilization in chemical simulations and optimization problem-solving. Amazon Web Services is also enhancing quantum computing accessibility through its Braket service, reporting a 220% increase in monthly usage in the third quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year.
The Rise of the Asian Market and Korea’s Strategic Positioning
Investment and development in quantum computing are rapidly expanding in the Asian region. China has emerged as the world’s largest investor, allocating $5 billion at the national level to the quantum computing sector in 2025. The University of Science and Technology of China announced that its Zuchongzhi 2 achieved a computation speed 10^24 times faster than existing supercomputers in a quantum supremacy experiment using 113 photons. Japan is also accelerating quantum computing research centered around RIKEN, while SoftBank, headquartered in Tokyo, has established a $1 billion fund for investments in quantum startups.
Korea’s quantum computing industry is also rapidly growing through the government-led K-Quantum project. In 2025, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced a 60% increase in investment to 120 billion won compared to the previous year, aiming to develop a 50-qubit quantum computer by 2030. Samsung Electronics, headquartered in Suwon, is focusing on qubit development using quantum dot technology, targeting the completion of a 5-qubit prototype in the second half of 2025. SK Telecom, based in Seoul, has secured a leading position in the quantum cryptography communication field, already providing commercial services to government and financial institutions.
Korea’s quantum computing ecosystem is characterized by active collaboration among large corporations, startups, and research institutions. The KAIST Quantum Information Research Center has signed a joint research agreement with IBM to collaborate on quantum algorithm development, while POSTECH has partnered with Google on quantum machine learning research. Seoul-based quantum computing startup PlanQK secured 15 billion won in Series A funding in the first half of 2025, embarking on quantum software development. Additionally, the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) is developing quantum internet technology, aiming for commercialization by 2026, which is expected to enhance Korea’s global standing in the competition.
Expansion of Industry Applications and Business Model Innovation
As real-world applications of quantum computing rapidly expand, various business models are emerging. In logistics optimization, Germany’s Volkswagen achieved a 30% improvement in efficiency in a taxi route optimization experiment in Beijing using quantum algorithms. U.S.-based Lockheed Martin introduced quantum simulations in aircraft design, improving fuel efficiency by 15%, and Boeing plans to fully utilize quantum computing-based aerodynamic analysis starting in the second half of 2025. These achievements demonstrate that quantum computing is already creating practical value in specific areas.
The application of quantum computing in the financial services sector is particularly noteworthy. New York-based Citigroup announced the introduction of a quantum machine learning-based credit risk assessment model in the third quarter of 2025, achieving 40% higher accuracy compared to existing models. London-based Barclays reduced latency in high-frequency trading from milliseconds to microseconds using quantum algorithms. In Korea, Shinhan Bank has started a pilot operation of quantum cryptography-based mobile banking services in collaboration with SK Telecom, and Hana Bank plans to introduce a quantum computing-based portfolio management system by 2026.
The application of quantum computing in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries is fundamentally changing the drug development paradigm. Roche, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, achieved a computation speed 100 times faster than existing supercomputers in molecular interaction simulations of Alzheimer’s drug candidates in collaboration with IBM. Germany’s Bayer reduced the development time for new pesticide ingredients from five years to two years using quantum simulations, achieving an annual R&D cost reduction of $300 million. U.S.-based Merck announced the establishment of a dedicated quantum computing research center in 2025, with plans to invest $1 billion over the next five years.
The quantum computing service market is also evolving in various forms. The cloud-based Quantum Computing as a Service (QCaaS) market grew to $800 million in 2025 and is projected to grow at an annual rate of 35%, reaching $3.5 billion by 2030. IBM’s Quantum Network, Google’s Quantum AI, and Microsoft’s Azure Quantum are major players, each expanding market share through differentiated approaches. The hybrid classical-quantum computing model is particularly gaining attention, combining the strengths of traditional computers and quantum computers to maximize problem-solving capabilities.
However, the quantum computing industry faces significant challenges. The most pressing issues are the still-high error rates and short qubit coherence times. The error rate of currently commercialized quantum computers ranges from 0.1% to 1%, far from the 0.0001% level required for practical applications. Additionally, the cost of dilution refrigerators needed to maintain ultra-low temperatures (near -273°C) exceeds $10 million each, posing a significant operational cost burden. The shortage of quantum computing professionals is also a serious issue, with an estimated 5,000 quantum computing experts worldwide, expected to rise to over 50,000 by 2030.
Despite these challenges, interest and investment in quantum computing from investors and companies continue to expand. Global venture investment in the quantum computing sector reached $3.5 billion in 2025, a 45% increase from the previous year. Investments in quantum software and algorithm development companies are surging, highlighting the growing importance of building a software ecosystem for practical applications alongside hardware advancements. Startups like Xanadu, based in Toronto, Canada, and Oxford Quantum Computing in the UK have each secured over $100 million in investments, drawing industry attention.
The future growth prospects for the quantum computing industry are very promising. Gartner predicts that the global quantum computing market will grow at an annual rate of 32% to reach $65 billion by 2030. The commercialization of quantum simulation, optimization, and machine learning is expected to accelerate, with quantum supremacy in specific problem areas anticipated to be clearly demonstrated by around 2027. At the national level, quantum computing is recognized as a key element of future national competitiveness, with large-scale public investments expected to continue, such as the U.S. National Quantum Initiative (NQI), the European Union’s Quantum Flagship program, and China’s National Laboratory for Quantum Information. Amid this global investment competition, Korea is steadily building a foundation to become a quantum computing powerhouse through the K-Quantum project, and the next five years are expected to be a crucial period in determining Korea’s position in the quantum computing industry ecosystem.
