📈 What is the biggest talent or skills gap the quantum sector must address - and how do you see that evolving in the near future?

'Understanding how to translate "quantum thinking" to the respective domains, i.e. describe systems and correlations in a way that quantum could play a role at all. We know where it could work, but we have no clue where else. I think the biggest gap is in the playful creativity to explore unconventional ways of thinking.'

Thomas Ehmer, Innovation Incubator, Merck KGA

'Not quantum physicists — translators. People who can look at a drug discovery bottleneck and say "this maps to QAOA" or "this is fine classically." I straddle pharma and quantum; the gap I see constantly is brilliant quantum people who don't understand why a chemist cares, and vice versa. That translation skill is rare and undervalued.'

Zoran Krunic, Senior Data Scientist, Amgen

'Computer scientists with quantum background – this should be in every CS curriculum'

Clemens Utschig-Utschig, Chief Technology Officer & Head of IT Technology, Strategy Boehringer Ingelheim

'Quantum integration engineers. See QinetiQ white paper.'

Lucy Maidwell, Senior Engineer - Simulation & Modelling, MBDA Missile Systems

'Error correction talent is the biggest skills gap today, since building fault-tolerant systems demands deep expertise in physics, mathematics, and engineering. As hardware scales, the sector will shift from niche specialists to large multidisciplinary teams, creating strong demand for software engineers, system architects, and practitioners who can translate quantum into real business value.'

Steve Suarez, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, HorizonX Consulting

'The lack of commercial expertise in quantum and quantum expertise in commerce is a bottleneck, and there are very few able to join the dots. It's a logical state of play in a sector built so heavily on academia and research, and still in its infancy. It is improving, but it takes time to learn and grow. Filling this void will help alleviate other skills gaps through complementary skills, cross-training and finding different ways to solve challenges borrowed or repurposed from other sectors.'

John Barnes, Principal and Owner, Entangled Positions

'The biggest gap is people who can connect quantum science with engineering and software. We have brilliant physicists, but we need more people who can turn theory into usable tools, like building hardware, writing code, and designing systems. In the near future, more training programs and partnerships will help students learn both the science and the practical skills.'

Kimberly D McGuire, Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage (C2QA), Brookhaven National Lab