In this article, we will look at the 16 most advanced countries in quantum computing. We will also discuss the global developments in the industry. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, head straight to the 5 Most Advanced Countries in Quantum Computing. 

As of 2023, quantum computers haven’t been able to outperform classical computers in real-world applications. Although existing quantum computers may accelerate solutions to specific mathematical problems, they do not provide a computational advantage for practical tasks. Many tasks show no potential for useful quantum speedup, and certain activities are proven to resist any quantum acceleration due to established theorems. Scientists and engineers are actively exploring diverse technologies for quantum computing hardware in the pursuit of scalable quantum architectures. However, major challenges still impede progress in achieving this goal.

Despite this, the quantum technology industry has experienced major growth and investment, with 2022 being a record year for funding. According to a Mckinsey report, investments in quantum technology start-ups reached $2.35 billion, a 1% increase from 2021. Established start-ups attracted huge funding, with four of the largest deals in the 2000s closing last year. Key players in hardware also received hefty investments, contributing to the industry’s capital-intensive nature.

Despite the increased funding, the rate of new start-up creation slowed, with only 19 quantum technology start-ups founded in 2022 compared to 41 in 2021. This suggests that more investments are flowing into established companies than new ventures. Established companies have been the focus of large deals, particularly in hardware. The public sector also continued its commitment, with the US investing an additional $1.8 billion, the EU committing $1.2 billion, and Canada contributing $100 million. China remains the country with the largest investment in quantum technology, with a total announced investment of $15.3 billion. China also leads when considering quantum patents by country. 

Technological progress in quantum computing has been noteworthy, with breakthroughs like a 433-qubit quantum processor from International Business Machines Corp (NYSE:IBM) and demonstrations of quantum advantage in sampling problems using photonic quantum computers. However, there are also signs of a slowdown in research, as evidenced by a decrease in patents granted and a decline in published papers on quantum technology, per the same Mckinsey report that we had mentioned earlier.

While the United States dominates the quantum computing industry in general, it faces a critical challenge in maintaining leadership in quantum computing. However, there are no right answers to what country is winning the quantum computing arms race.

Quantum computing’s importance spans sectors like climate change, manufacturing, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence. Quantum computers also pose a cybersecurity threat, potentially compromising encryption standards. To address this, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology is developing cryptographic algorithms resistant to quantum decryption. However, success demands global collaboration. Like the semiconductor industry, quantum computing expertise is limited worldwide. The US must coordinate with allies, such as Australia, which houses 10% of the world’s quantum physicists.

International Business Machines Corp (NYSE:IBM) recently announced their new quantum computing chip and system, Quantum System Two, which features three “Heron” processors. This development is a part of International Business Machines Corp (NYSE:IBM)’s ambitious goal to lay the groundwork for much larger quantum systems by 2033. However, the challenge lies in making quantum machines reliable enough for practical use. International Business Machines Corp (NYSE:IBM)’s approach involves innovative chip connections within and between machines and a new error-correction code. Quantum System Two is essentially the initial application of these developments, and International Business Machines Corp (NYSE:IBM) anticipates a major leap in capabilities from 2029 onwards, akin to the rapid evolution seen in AI systems recently.

As part of the global quantum race, International Business Machines Corp (NYSE:IBM) faces competition from Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT), Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), Baidu, and startups like PsiQuantum. 

On the other hand, Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) recently disclosed its roadmap for developing a quantum supercomputer, projecting the achievement within 10 years. The company aims to utilize topological qubits and demonstrated progress in Majorana-based qubits that offer enhanced stability. The quantum supercomputer is expected to perform one million reliable quantum operations per second, shifting beyond the noisy intermediate-scale quantum computing era. Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) acknowledges the challenges of transitioning from foundational to resilient quantum machines and highlights the need for hardware-protected qubits and error-correcting codes. 

Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) has also introduced Azure Quantum Elements, a platform integrating high-performance computing, AI, and quantum capabilities. Additionally, Copilot for Azure Quantum is an AI model that has been revealed to assist scientists and students in quantum-related calculations and simulations.

Our Methodology

Quantum computing, despite the hype, is effectively a research field. Therefore, to list the most advanced countries in quantum computing, we have assessed the qualitative and quantitative output of these countries’ research on quantum computing. For the quality of research, we have looked at the H-Index of the papers on physics and astronomy by countries in the miscelleneous category (which covers research on quantum information theory and quantum computing as well) from Scimago Journal and Country Rank.

Side Note: If you want to find out the importance of H-Index for research quality, you can check out our article on the countries that produce the best engineers. 

For quantity, we have looked at the countries’ global publication share in the field of quantum computing from a research paper by HA Bhat et el. However, we saw that their research only covered 12 countries. To make up for the remaining 4, we looked at the number of citable documents by countries in the Scimago Journal and Country Rank, and picked 4 countries other than the 12 already covered in HA Bhat et el. research, with the highest number of citable papers published in the category of physics and astronomy (miscelleneous). 

We then ranked the countries seperataly by H-Index (quality of research) and the research output volume (quantity of research) and then averaged out the rankings for each country on the two metrics and ranked countries in our list based on their averaged-out rankings.

Here is a list of the most advanced countries in quantum computing

16. Sweden

H-Index: 15

Number of Publications: 20

Average Rank: 17.5

Sweden has achieved a major milestone in quantum computing, with researchers at Chalmers University using a quantum computer for real-life chemistry calculations. Led by Associate Professor Martin Rahm, the team utilized Chalmers’ quantum computer Särimner. It introduced a novel method called Reference-State Error Mitigation (REM) to minimize calculation errors caused by quantum computer noise. Sweden is one of the top countries in our quantum computing ranking in 2023. 

15. Netherlands

H-Index: 12

Number of Publications: 19

Average Rank: 15.5

The Netherlands has been at the forefront of quantum computing, especially as QuantWare secured a record-setting €6 million ($6.5 million) seed round. The country is emerging as a quantum hub in 2023, with startups attracting huge funding. QuantWare is aiming to be the ‘Intel’ of quantum computing, and plans to use the funds to scale its team for the development of the 64 qubit processor, Tenor.  

14. Poland

H-Index: 16

Number of Publications: 14

Average Rank: 15

Poland has emerged as one of the leaders in quantum computing with Intel Corp (NASDAQ:INTC)’s announcement of a 12-qubit silicon-based quantum processing unit (QPU) named “Tunnel Falls.” The unit is essentially a €4.6 billion ($4.98 billion) investment in a new production facility in Poland. 

13. India

H-Index: 19

Number of Publications: 5

Average Rank: 12

The Uttar Pradesh Government has recently collaborated with Innogress on the Indraprastha Quantum Data Center (IQDC) in Greater Noida. In partnership with GAN Tech UK, the project targets the development of a million-qubit-powered quantum computer, which is a substantial progression from current quantum leaders. With an estimated investment of $300-500 million, the initiative positions India as one of the leading countries in quantum computing.

12. Australia

H-Index: 14

Number of Publications: 10

Average Rank: 12

Australia is a global leader in quantum technology with top minds and research. The government’s efforts and investments have made the quantum sector a standout, capturing 3.6% of global venture capital from 2017 to 2021. Australia is an important player when considering quantum computing investment by country and is one of the best countries with quantum computers.

Unsurprisignly, Australia is also one of the most advanced countries in computer technology. 

11. South Korea

H-Index: 13

Number of Publications: 11

Average Rank: 12

South Korea is investing over $2.3 billion in quantum science and tech by 2035, aiming to be a global leader. They want to boost their quantum tech to 85% by 2035, up from 62.5%, partnering with companies like International Machines Corp (NYSE:IBM). The goal is to have more quantum researchers, from 384 to 2,500 by 2023 and increase the global market share to 10% by 2035.

10. Switzerland

H-Index: 9

Number of Publications: 15

Average Rank: 12

IonQ, a quantum computing company, is establishing a CHF25m ($28m) quantum innovation center in Switzerland’s QuantumBasel. The center will host two generations of quantum computers, #AQ35 and #AQ64, with capabilities to simultaneously consider over 34 billion and 18 quintillion possibilities. Switzerland is one of the most advanced countries in quantum computing. 

9. Russia

H-Index: 11

Number of Publications: 11

Average Rank: 11

Russia recently presented a 16-qubit quantum computer, claiming it the “most powerful in Russia.” The computer is developed by the International Center for Quantum Optics and Quantum Technologies, the system uses a trapped-ion design and has been in development since 2015. 

8. Canada

H-Index: 10

Number of Publications: 7

Average Rank: 8.5

Canada has emerged as a global quantum computing leader, investing over C$1 billion ($0.74billion) in quantum science from 2012 to 2022. The National Quantum Strategy, initiated in 2023 with a C$360 million ($266 million) investment, aims to make the Quantum sector a C$139 billion ($103 billion) industry, contributing 3% to the GDP by 2045. 

7. Italy

H-Index: 7

Number of Publications: 8

Average Rank: 7.5

SEEQC is a digital quantum computing company which has recently announced Italy’s first full-stack quantum computer, SEEQC System Red, in Naples. Focused on quality and speed, SEEQC Red offers four times lower error rates and 10 times faster native two-qubit gates than competitors. Italy is one of the top 10 most advanced countries in quantum computing.

Italy is also one of the most advanced countries in space technology. 

6. France

H-Index: 6

Number of Publications: 9

Average Rank: 7.5

France has emerged as a leading force in quantum computing, evidenced by Quandela, a French photonic quantum computing company, securing over €50 million ($54.1 million) in Series B funding and delivering its first quantum computer to an industrial client. With a workforce of over 50 experts, the company opened Europe’s inaugural quantum computer production facility in June 2023. 

Click here to see the 5 Most Advanced Countries in Quantum Computing.

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Disclosure: None. 16 Most Advanced Countries in Quantum Computing is originally published on Insider Monkey.