In Spain, April marked a decisive turning point in the development of quantum technologies. The Government announced an investment of 800 million euros to boost the first national strategy in this field, with the aim of consolidating its own quantum ecosystem and preparing society for unprecedented technological change. Beyond the economic gesture, the initiative reflects a long -range vision and an institutional commitment to place Spain among the global leaders of this revolution.
The base on which this impulse is based is not less. Currently, the country has more than 30 active research groups and more than 10 startups or spin-offs specialized in quantum technologies, which makes Spain one of the most fertile environments for the transfer of knowledge from the academy to the market.
A global survey by SAS to 500 business leaders confirms that quantum has already ceased to be a distant promise: 60% of respondents ensure that their companies are investing or actively exploring quantum. However, this advance is not exempt from barriers. Among the main obstacles mentioned are the high cost of adoption (38%), lack of knowledge (35%) and uncertainty about their practical application (31%).
“With the arrival of quantum technologies, companies can analyze more data than ever and get surprisingly fast answers to extremely complex questions,” explains Marcos Carrascosa, pre-regal director in SAS for Spain and Portugal. “In SAS we work to simplify quantum research and make it applicable to real businesses.”
The Government launches its first national strategy of quantum technologies with 800 million euros while companies such as SAS already experience quantum applied to real business problems
Europe, and Spain, step hard on the quantum board
At the global level, Europe represents a quarter of the total quantum SMEs, a fact that places it along with the United States and Spain is not far behind. The quality of your scientific and technical talent in physics and quantum computing is already a differential asset. “Our great challenge is to form more specialized profiles in quantum engineering and development of quantum software, through masters and doctorates adapted to market demand,” says Carrascosa.
The SAS survey also reveals the sectors with the greatest potential to apply the quantum: data analysis and machine learning (48%), R&D (41%), cybersecurity (35%) and logistics and supply chain (31%). Despite this enthusiasm, the lack of trained talent (31%) and the absence of clear regulations (26%) remain stones on the road.
Sas and the practical integration of quantum
SAS has taken concrete steps in the integration of quantum in its technological solutions. Through SAS® VIYA® Workbench, the company already experiences quantum algorithms in data preparation tasks and development of artificial intelligence models. In addition, it maintains active collaborations with sector leaders such as D-Wave and IBM, seeking to integrate classic/quantum hybrid methodologies to solve complex problems.
It is also part of the Quera Quantum Alliance program, promoted by Quera Computing Inc., with the aim of exploring the possibilities of quantum computers based on neutral atoms.
Jay Upchurch, Executive Vice President and CIO DE SAS, summarizes it clearly: “We are eliminating barriers for the adoption of quantum computing by offering accessible tools and solutions that combine the best of traditional technology with the transforming power of quantum. We want this technology to integrate naturally into business flows and become a key accelerator to make better decisions.”
