Embracing the Quantum Economy: A Pathway for Business Leaders

The report outlines the transformative potential of the quantum economy, estimating a potential economic value between $900 million and $2 trillion by 2035 across leading industries. It details the specific applications of quantum computing, sensing, and communication in sectors such as finance, healthcare, energy, and transportation, while highlighting the symbiotic relationship between quantum technologies and artificial intelligence. The document provides a roadmap for business adoption, recommending a progression from explorative initiatives and pilot programmes to the establishment of dedicated internal teams and strategic investments via venture capital, acquisitions, or internal funding. It also addresses critical challenges, including the 'quantum divide', intellectual property management, and the urgent need for quantum-safe cryptography to mitigate cybersecurity risks.

• The potential economic value of quantum computing, quantum sensing, and quantum communication and security in leading industries is estimated to reach between $900 million and $2 trillion by 2035.
• Quantum technologies are categorized into three main types: quantum computing for solving complex problems via optimization and simulation; quantum sensing for high-precision measurement; and quantum communication and security for theoretically unbreakable encryption.
• There is a symbiotic relationship between AI and quantum technologies, where AI optimizes quantum algorithms and hardware calibration, while quantum computing can accelerate AI model training and handle high-dimensional data for image recognition.
• Early adopters in the quantum economy face significant risks and hurdles, including high R&D costs, a shortage of skilled workforce, technological unpredictability, and the risk of a 'quantum divide' where advancements are not equitably distributed.
• Quantum technologies offer specific transformative value across multiple sectors: financial services (portfolio optimization and fraud detection), pharmaceuticals (drug discovery and diagnostics), energy (grid optimization), and transportation (aerodynamics and GPS-denied navigation).
• The report identifies a critical gap in cybersecurity readiness, noting that most organizations are unprepared for the threats posed by quantum computing, necessitating the immediate adoption of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and quantum key distribution (QKD).
• Businesses are advised to follow a six-step strategic roadmap: conduct risk assessments, engage with quantum ecosystems, initiate pilot programmes, build dedicated teams, invest strategically, and continuously monitor and adapt.

APA

World Economic Forum (2025). Embracing the Quantum Economy: A Pathway for Business Leaders. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Embracing_the_Quantum_Economy_2024.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Embracing the Quantum Economy: A Pathway for Business Leaders. 2025. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Embracing_the_Quantum_Economy_2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Embracing the Quantum Economy: A Pathway for Business Leaders |date=January 2025 |url=https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Embracing_the_Quantum_Economy_2024.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2025embracing, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Embracing the Quantum Economy: A Pathway for Business Leaders}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Embracing_the_Quantum_Economy_2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }