The Year of Quantum Computing Commercialization: Global Market Shifts in 2025 and Strategic Responses of Korean Companies
Editor
As of December 2025, the quantum computing industry has moved beyond the experimental stage and is entering a full-fledged commercialization trajectory, marking the beginning of a major shift in the global technology paradigm. Following IBM’s launch of the 1000-qubit quantum computer “Condor” as a cloud service in October, Google’s (Alphabet) unveiling of the next-generation quantum processor “Willow” in early December has presented a groundbreaking breakthrough in quantum error correction. These technological advancements are acting as catalysts that accelerate the digital transformation across industries, particularly driving significant changes in business models in the finance, pharmaceutical, logistics, and cybersecurity sectors.
According to McKinsey, the global quantum computing market is expected to grow explosively from $1.9 billion in 2024 to $65 billion by 2030, with an average annual growth rate of 88.2%. This figure significantly surpasses the growth rate of the AI semiconductor market (35% annually), indicating that quantum computing is establishing itself as a key driver of next-generation computing. While North America leads with a 42% market share, the Asia-Pacific region is rapidly catching up, achieving a 35% share, driven by active investments from China and Korea.
The core of quantum computing technology lies in utilizing qubits, which can exist in both 0 and 1 states simultaneously, unlike traditional binary bits, to perform parallel computations. Theoretically, a 300-qubit quantum computer can process 2^300 states simultaneously, more than the number of atoms in the universe, completing complex calculations in minutes that would take supercomputers millions of years. However, the biggest hurdle to commercialization has been the instability and error rates of quantum states, a problem that Google’s Willow chip has practically addressed, drawing industry attention.
Google’s Willow chip, equipped with 105 qubits, successfully reduced quantum error rates to less than half of previous levels. More importantly, it demonstrated the “below threshold” phenomenon, where error rates decrease as the number of qubits increases. This technological innovation significantly enhances the practicality of quantum computing, opening the way to fundamentally solving the problem of exponentially increasing error rates with more qubits. Based on this technology, Google announced a roadmap to implement logical qubits on a scale of 1 million by 2030, equivalent to 1 billion physical qubits today.
Global Companies Competing to Build Quantum Computing Ecosystems
IBM is taking the most proactive steps in the commercialization of quantum computing. Following the announcement of the 1121-qubit “Condor” processor in 2023, IBM launched the “Quantum Network Initiative” in 2024 to build quantum networks. Currently, over 200 companies and research institutions worldwide are utilizing IBM’s quantum cloud services, with JP Morgan Chase reporting a 30% improvement in returns by applying quantum algorithms to portfolio optimization and risk management. IBM’s quantum computing division recorded $800 million in revenue in 2024, projected to exceed $1.5 billion in 2025.
Microsoft is attempting a differentiated approach by focusing on topological qubit technology. This technology can implement physically more stable qubits, significantly reducing error rates, although it has not yet reached practical application. Instead, Microsoft is providing an integrated environment to access various quantum computing hardware through its Azure cloud platform, focusing on building a software ecosystem. As of 2024, Azure Quantum service users exceeded 50,000, a 340% increase from the previous year.
Amazon is pursuing a platform strategy by providing the “Braket” quantum computing service through AWS and building partnerships with various quantum hardware manufacturers. Notably, Amazon is concentrating on quantum software and algorithm development rather than developing its own quantum computers. In October 2024, Amazon integrated the quantum machine learning library “PennyLane” into Braket, significantly enhancing developer accessibility. Amazon’s quantum computing-related revenue reached $300 million in 2024, primarily from cloud services and consulting.
China’s investment scale in quantum computing is also noteworthy. The Chinese government announced a $15 billion investment in quantum technology from 2021 to 2030, with active research and development led by Tsinghua University in Beijing and the University of Science and Technology of China in Shanghai. The Chinese Academy of Sciences announced in November 2024 that it developed the “Jiuzhang 3.0” quantum computer using 113 photons, achieving performance 10^24 times faster than Google’s Sycamore for specific calculations. However, this result is limited to special sampling problems, and U.S. companies still maintain a technological edge in general-purpose quantum computing.
Strategies and Market Opportunities for Korean Companies Entering Quantum Computing
The Korean government announced the “Quantum Technology Innovation Strategy” in August 2024, committing to invest 1 trillion won by 2030 to achieve technological independence in quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum sensors. This investment level, at 0.18% of GDP, surpasses the U.S. (0.12%) and China (0.15%), indicating Korea’s recognition of quantum technology as a next-generation growth engine. Notably, Korea’s strengths in semiconductor and display technology are being leveraged in quantum hardware development strategies.
Samsung Electronics, headquartered in Suwon, established a “Quantum Computing Research Center” within the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology in March 2024, forming a dedicated research team of 100 members. Samsung’s approach involves developing silicon-based qubits using existing semiconductor manufacturing technology, advantageous for miniaturization and mass production compared to the currently mainstream superconducting qubits. Samsung plans to complete a 10-qubit prototype by the first half of 2025 and mass-produce a 100-qubit quantum processor by 2027. Additionally, Samsung is developing technology in quantum computer cooling systems and control electronics, with the global market for this field expected to reach $12 billion by 2030.
SK Hynix, headquartered in Icheon, is focusing on developing quantum memory technology. Quantum computers require special memory capable of maintaining quantum states during computations, which must have a completely different structure from existing DRAM or NAND flash. In July 2024, SK Hynix, in collaboration with MIT, began developing quantum memory devices, with an initial goal of achieving a coherence time of over 1 microsecond. The current coherence time of commercial quantum memory is around 100 nanoseconds, and improving this by more than tenfold could significantly enhance the practicality of quantum computers. SK Hynix plans to invest 500 billion won in this project by 2027, aiming for a 30% market share in the global quantum memory market if successful.
LG Electronics, headquartered in Seoul, is focusing on the application fields of quantum computing. LG Electronics is particularly concentrating on optimizing battery materials and improving the energy efficiency of home appliances using quantum algorithms. In September 2024, LG Electronics partnered with Canadian quantum computing startup D-Wave to develop optimal operation algorithms for refrigerators and air conditioners. Initial test results showed that smart air conditioners using quantum annealing techniques achieved a 15% power saving compared to existing models, potentially saving 100,000 won in annual electricity bills per household. LG Electronics plans to launch a premium home appliance line with quantum optimization features starting in 2026, expecting an additional 300 billion won in annual revenue.
Another notable movement in Korea’s quantum computing ecosystem is the active entry of startups. “Qubrit,” a spinoff from Seoul National University, raised 20 billion won in a Series A round in 2024, accelerating quantum software development. Qubrit’s quantum simulation software “QSimulator” is currently used by over 20 research institutions in Korea, showing a 30% improvement in accuracy for molecular structure simulations in drug development. Additionally, “Qureus,” founded by researchers from KAIST, developed quantum encryption communication equipment, supplying it to five domestic financial institutions by 2024, achieving 15 billion won in revenue.
Concrete business applications of quantum computing are beginning to show specific results. Mirae Asset Securities, a domestic securities firm, has been piloting quantum algorithms for portfolio optimization since October 2024, confirming a 12% improvement in returns during the initial six-month test period. Quantum computing’s advantages were particularly evident in complex derivative pricing and risk analysis. CJ Logistics, a major Korean logistics company, also began using quantum algorithms for delivery route optimization in the second half of 2024, achieving an 8% reduction in delivery time and a 15% saving in fuel costs.
However, the Korean quantum computing industry faces several challenges. The biggest issue is the shortage of specialized personnel, with only about 500 quantum technology experts in Korea, significantly lagging behind the U.S. (8,000) and China (5,000). In response, the government announced plans to establish specialized graduate schools for quantum technology at Seoul National University, KAIST, and POSTECH from 2025, training 200 master’s and doctoral-level personnel annually. The lack of basic research infrastructure is also a limitation. Essential facilities for operating quantum computers, such as cryogenic cooling and electromagnetic shielding, are mostly imported, resulting in research and development costs being over 30% higher than overseas.
As of the end of 2025, Korea’s position in the global quantum computing market is mid-tier in terms of technological capability but shows unique strengths in application fields. Korean companies’ quantum algorithms developed for manufacturing and logistics optimization are yielding practical results, and competitiveness in these areas is expected to increase. Additionally, the development of quantum hardware based on Korea’s excellent semiconductor manufacturing technology holds significant long-term potential. However, to close the technological gap with the U.S. and China, continued government investment and bold research and development investments by companies are needed. As quantum computing establishes itself as a core of next-generation computing, 2026 is expected to be a crucial turning point for Korea’s achievements in this field.
