"Russia entered the global top 5 in quantum computing" – Director for Quantum Technologies at Rosatom, Yekaterina Solntseva
Quantum technologies are gradually moving into the commercial sector. Alongside state investment, venture capital is emerging, as well as new startups and approaches. The future of the quantum industry, Russia’s achievements in this field, and its promising directions were discussed by participants of the II International Symposium "Inventing the Future". The meeting took place on 8 October at the National Centre RUSSIA, with Rosatom State Corporation acting as co-organiser.
The session focused on transferring quantum technologies into the real economy. Experts discussed innovative products, solutions and services, all of which will soon be powered by quantum technology.
The panel discussion titled "Quantum Transformation and Markets of the Future" was part of the "Technology" track and was dedicated to the upcoming second quantum revolution. Opening the discussion, moderator Alexander Korsunsky, Professor at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech), noted that the key issue in the field is how soon quantum technologies will be applied in various industries. The first steps in this direction have already been taken, said Director for Quantum Technologies at Rosatom State Corporation, Yekaterina Solntseva. In particular, Russia has entered the global top five leaders in the quantum field within just five years.
"Russia is one of only three countries with operational quantum computers on all four main platforms. We are also among the first six nations to cross the 50-qubit threshold, the point at which quantum computing becomes practically meaningful. Today we can say that we already possess the technology — and now we must develop the necessary infrastructure to bring it into practice. It is important to learn to live with this new reality, to understand how to apply quantum computing and formulate tasks for quantum machines. We must actively build the quantum industry — together, these steps will determine nations’ competitiveness in the future," said Yekaterina Solntseva.
Doctor of Physics and Mathematics, Head of the Laboratory for the Theory of Fundamental Interactions at the Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Scientific Curator of the Atom Museum, Alexei Semikhatov, emphasised that greater attention should be given to public education in the field of quantum technology. He noted that quantum science is the undisputed champion in predictive accuracy, yet it is still widely perceived as something incomprehensible — an attitude that must change.
"I believe it would be beneficial for the next generation to understand what to expect and what not to expect from quantum computers — and what types of problems are truly worth exploring. Perhaps this will inspire some of them to invent new and better quantum algorithms more quickly," said Alexei Semikhatov.
Supporting this idea, Director General of the Russian Quantum Centre, Maxim Ostras, reminded that just a day before this meeting, the Nobel Prize was awarded to a group of physicists who demonstrated that under certain conditions, quantum properties can appear not only at the level of individual atoms, electrons, and photons, but also in electrical circuits a few millimetres in size containing trillions of particles. Their work erased the boundary between the quantum microcosm and our macroscopic world and laid the technological groundwork for the rapid development of quantum technologies. He also emphasised the maturity of the field today.
"Quantum technologies have moved beyond purely scientific discourse. We are now seriously discussing various aspects of ‘quantum’ in the context of business and real-world industrial applications. The relevant technologies already exist, and major companies and businesses are actively seeking ways to apply them," stressed Maxim Ostras.
Researcher at the Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (LPI RAS), Ilya Semerikov — creator of the most powerful Russian ion-based quantum computer — believes that the potential of quantum computing is immense, to the extent that it could determine the future of humanity.
"If we look at computation as a certain class of problems, in my view, it has become an existential issue today — far more existential than nuclear weapons," said Ilya Semerikov. "Because nuclear weapons were a matter of national survival. What we face now is a question of the survival of humanity as a species."
Doctor of Physics and Mathematics, Director of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the National University of Science and Technology MISIS, Fedor Senatov, spoke about the potential of quantum technologies in medicine. In particular, quantum computing can aid in organ bioprinting.
"To reproduce cell manipulation — to distribute them in space like a kind of hologram — requires complex, multi-factor computations that not only determine the physical placement of cells in space, but also predict how they will merge and change shape," explained Fedor Senatov.
The II International Symposium "Inventing the Future" was held on 7–8 October at the National Centre RUSSIA and brought together participants from 86 countries. More than 260 Russian and international experts took part, including representatives from China, the United States, Italy, Latin America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
The International Symposium "Inventing the Future" was organised by order of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, under the auspices of the Decade of Science and Technology in Russia, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. The analytical partner was the VCIOM Analytical Centre, and the literary partner was Eksmo-AST Publishing Group.
Event photobank
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