Quantum’s commercial moment has arrived; communications must catch up
Questions this piece answers:
Why is quantum technology entering a new phase of commercialisation?
What recent UK initiatives are accelerating quantum industry adoption?
How should quantum companies adapt their communications strategies for commercial growth?
What do investors, customers and industry partners look for when evaluating quantum technology companies?
On this platform in November, following an illuminating Quantum Technology Showcase in London, I asked a simple question – “Where is industry and why is isn’t it here?”.
At today’s Economist conference on Commercialising Quantum, my question is being answered.
From Sir Peter Knight’s rallying cry of “Who needs this stuff?” to the changing face of the corporate literature on show (now universally featuring a range of industry customers deployment quantum technologies) the shift is palpable.
There is a sense that the physics is playing ball and more attention is needed on working out where it can be used to solve real industry problems or create new ways for customers to gain a competitive advantage.
Signals
At the heart of this change are some important announcements that signal new energy in the drive to understand where the demand is going to come from in the UK:
The first is the recent announcement of the ProQure initiative managed by Innovate UK. This offers up to £14m to help companies demonstrate commercial scale and viable applications for their quantum computing hardware and software. That is phase one of four. The third phase suggests funding of up to £1bn per company. If there was ever a concern that HMG wasn’t putting its money where its mouth is, that rumour is well and truly dispelled.
The second is the launch of the National Physical Laboratory’s Quantum Standards Network, which will coordinate the UK’s development of standards that ensure quantum technologies can be independently tested and their performance verified in ways that give industry customers the confidence to invest and deploy them. As we have seen recently with similar initiatives from NPL in semiconductor innovation, that drives up industry engagement massively.
And third is the announcement of a new funding competition worth £33m for scaling quantum supply chains. This is something we are hearing in fusion and robotics too. Calls for a groundswell of companies to form an orderly queue to support the delivery of expected orders is a bulletproof sign that the game is no longer restricted to technical challenges.
In isolation these are important steps for the sector to take. Taken together they signal the real recognition that quantum is moving quicker than expected to industrial maturity and commercialisation.
That changes things for communicators. Until now communicating quantum has been about sharing technical progress within the quantum community. The conversation has been about the way the technology harnesses the science.
Now it needs to be about how industry harnesses the technology. That means less technical content and more engagement with potential customers, investors, and regulators.
Quantum companies will no longer be judged solely on their scientific credibility, but increasingly on their ability to demonstrate commercial readiness, relevance to real industry challenges, and their pathways to adoption. It means marketeers and communications professionals need to position companies as scalable technology businesses not research projects; develop investor grade narratives; and emphasise customer traction.
So whilst technical teams continue to refine and enhance, marketing and comms teams need to pivot their brands in preparation for scientific success. How quickly they can do that to capture and act on the demand signals from industry will define their success or failure in the months to come.