The Rapid Growth of the Quantum Computing Market and the Commercialization Turning Point in 2025
Editor
As of November 2025, the quantum computing industry is at a historical turning point. With the global quantum computing market reaching $18 billion, marking a 32% growth compared to the previous year, it demonstrates that this technology is moving beyond mere research into actual commercial applications. Notably, venture investments related to quantum computing exceeded $4.7 billion in the first half of this year, signaling that investors are beginning to fully recognize the commercial potential of this technology. This growth is not merely speculative interest but is driven by emerging concrete business results and practical application cases.
The core principle of quantum computing is that, unlike traditional computers that process information in bits of 0 and 1, quantum bits (qubits) utilize a superposition state where 0 and 1 can exist simultaneously. Due to this characteristic, quantum computers can exhibit exponentially faster processing speeds than traditional supercomputers for certain types of complex calculations. Currently commercialized quantum computers possess between 50 and 1000 qubits, capable of providing performance improvements over traditional computers by more than 1000 times in specific optimization problems. However, it is important to note that such performance enhancements are limited to specific areas such as cryptography, molecular simulation, and optimization problems.
Examining the competitive landscape of leading companies in the market, IBM, headquartered in Armonk, New York, is considered to be at the forefront. IBM’s quantum network currently includes over 200 organizations, and their 1121-qubit quantum processor ‘IBM Condor’ holds the most qubits among currently commercialized quantum computers. IBM aims to develop a 100,000-qubit system by 2025 and has already established partnerships with companies like JPMorgan Chase, Merck, and Samsung Electronics to solve real business problems. In the financial sector, they have demonstrated a 15-20% improvement in accuracy over existing systems in portfolio optimization and risk analysis.
Google (Alphabet), headquartered in Mountain View, California, is taking a different approach. Google’s ‘Sycamore’ quantum processor has 70 qubits, fewer than IBM’s, but focuses on achieving quantum supremacy. In a 2019 experiment, Google claimed that a calculation that would take a traditional supercomputer 10,000 years was completed in 200 seconds, though this claim was later contested by IBM and other research institutions, leading to intense technical debates. Google is expected to announce a new quantum processor in the second half of 2025, with a greater focus on practical applications.
The Rise of the Asian Market and Samsung Electronics’ Strategic Investment
In Asia, South Korea’s Samsung Electronics is investing most aggressively in the quantum computing field. Headquartered in Suwon, Samsung Electronics has been investing $1.2 billion annually in quantum computing research since 2024, focusing particularly on the development of quantum memory and quantum processors. Samsung’s approach combines existing semiconductor manufacturing technology with quantum technology, differentiating it from other competitors. Samsung plans to unveil its self-developed 50-qubit quantum processor by the end of 2025, aiming to use it for optimizing memory and system semiconductor design.
China is also making large-scale investments in quantum computing at the national level. Baidu and Alibaba, headquartered in Beijing, each operate their own quantum research labs, with Baidu’s ‘Qian’ platform currently offering a 36-qubit simulator. The Chinese government has announced plans to invest a total of $15 billion in the quantum computing field by 2025, significantly surpassing the U.S. National Quantum Initiative budget of $1.2 billion. This large-scale investment is expected to lead to significant technological advancements in quantum computing in China over the next 2-3 years.
In Japan, NTT and Fujitsu, headquartered in Tokyo, are leading quantum computing research. NTT is conducting research specialized in optical quantum computing, which differs from the traditional superconducting approach. The optical quantum method can operate at room temperature, eliminating the need for cooling costs, but currently has the limitation of a restricted number of qubits. Fujitsu is focusing on quantum annealing technology through a partnership with Canada’s D-Wave and is already providing commercial services for solving optimization problems with several companies in Japan.
Looking at the actual application areas of quantum computing, the pharmaceutical industry is showing the most notable achievements. Roche, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is utilizing quantum computing in collaboration with IBM for simulating molecular interactions in the drug development process. Complex molecular structure analysis, which used to take months with traditional methods, can now be completed within weeks using quantum computers, potentially reducing drug development costs by an estimated 15-20%. The importance of rapid vaccine and therapeutic development has been highlighted since the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a sharp increase in interest in quantum computing among pharmaceutical companies.
Innovation in Financial Services and Logistics Optimization
In the financial services sector, the practical application of quantum computing is becoming more pronounced. Goldman Sachs, headquartered in New York, has been piloting a portfolio risk analysis system using quantum computing since 2024, claiming a more than 1000-fold improvement in calculation speed compared to traditional Monte Carlo simulations. This performance enhancement enables real-time risk management, allowing for more accurate decision-making, particularly in high-frequency trading. JPMorgan Chase is also developing a credit risk assessment model using quantum computing, with test results so far showing a 12% improvement in predictive accuracy compared to existing models.
In the field of logistics and supply chain optimization, DHL, headquartered in Bonn, Germany, is playing a leading role. DHL is applying D-Wave’s quantum annealing system to optimize global delivery routes, potentially reducing delivery times by an average of 8% and saving $200 million annually in fuel costs. In the context of the ongoing surge in e-commerce and supply chain instability due to COVID-19, real-time route optimization through quantum computing is bringing revolutionary changes to the logistics industry. Amazon is also using its own quantum computing service, ‘Braket,’ to optimize warehouse robot routes and improve inventory management systems.
However, the quantum computing industry faces significant technical challenges. The biggest issue is the quantum error rate. The error rates of currently commercialized quantum computers are between 0.1-1%, which is still too high for performing complex calculations. Quantum error correction technology is being developed to address this, but it is estimated that millions of physical qubits will be needed for practical error correction, which is difficult to achieve with current technology. Additionally, quantum computers can only operate in cryogenic environments, resulting in very high operational costs, with the annual cost of operating one IBM quantum computer reportedly around $15 million.
The quantum computing software ecosystem is also showing significant development. Rigetti Computing, headquartered in Palo Alto, California, provides an environment for developers to easily develop and test quantum algorithms through its quantum cloud service ‘Forest.’ This platform is currently used by over 5,000 developers monthly and plays an important role in popularizing quantum computing. Microsoft is also supporting quantum software development through its Quantum Development Kit (QDK) and Q# programming language, competing in the quantum cloud service market alongside Amazon’s Braket.
From an investment perspective, venture investments in quantum computing startups have surged in 2025. Notably, D-Wave, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, raised $340 million in a series investment earlier this year, the largest single investment round in the quantum computing field. Cambridge Quantum Computing, headquartered in Cambridge, UK, also raised $210 million, demonstrating the growth of the European quantum computing ecosystem. This increase in investment indicates that quantum computing is being recognized as a business area capable of generating actual revenue, beyond just a research topic.
In terms of regulatory environment, the technological hegemony competition between the U.S. and China is also affecting the quantum computing field. The U.S. expanded its National Quantum Initiative in 2024 to strengthen export controls on quantum technology, particularly restricting the overseas export of high-performance quantum systems that could have military applications. In response, China is also strengthening regulations to protect its quantum technology, raising the possibility of a division in the global quantum computing ecosystem. The European Union is pursuing the establishment of an independent quantum technology ecosystem through its Quantum Flagship program, planning a total investment of €1 billion.
Looking ahead, the quantum computing market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 25-30%, reaching a scale of $30 billion by 2026. As specific application areas capable of achieving quantum supremacy become clearer, commercial utilization is expected to accelerate. In the field of cryptography, quantum computers capable of rendering the current RSA encryption system ineffective are anticipated to emerge around 2030, making the development of post-quantum cryptography an urgent task. These changes present new business opportunities and risks across the cybersecurity industry. As the commercialization of quantum computing accelerates, it is crucial to pay attention to how this technology, which fundamentally changes the existing computing paradigm, will transform our daily lives and business environments.
