UNESCO has declared 2025 the “International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.” Quantum physics has existed for around one hundred years, and since then, it has provided the theoretical foundation for numerous technologies. Quantum computing is regarded as one of the most important future fields of digital technology and is expected to bring abstract scientific concepts into application in a spectacular way. This requires a complex network of funding programs, international collaborations, and interdisciplinary lighthouse projects, as well as the creative curiosity of scientists. However, competitive effects and geopolitical strategies are also becoming increasingly important.
In recent months, significant advances in the field have ushered in a new chapter. Today, societies should expect quantum computing to become available soon. This also means that, in the near future, traditional methods of encrypting digital communication will become obsolete due to the capabilities of quantum computing. Additionally, optimization problems of all kinds will be solvable at high speeds, including traffic control, weather prediction, combat operations, and surveillance measures. What can we expect from quantum computing in the coming decades? How should we approach the social classification of these new realities?
Frank Wilhelm-Mauch, a professor of theoretical physics at Saarland University, is coordinating the construction of a quantum computer for Europe at Forschungszentrum Jülich as part of the European flagship project, OpenSuperQPlus. In this episode of Digitalgespräch, the expert in the fundamentals and application of quantum computing, discusses the significance of quantum computing in 2025. He also describes the impact of important technical and societal processes on research conditions and how industry, politics, and science interact with each other. Finally, he talks about the applications we can soon expect from quantum computers. With hosts Marlene Görger and Petra Gehring, Wilhelm-Mauch will discuss the challenges posed by the field’s interdisciplinary nature, the interaction between quantum computing and artificial intelligence, the application of smart risk management in the face of this powerful technology – and the prevalence of the question of responsible design in the specialist community today.
Episode 67 of Digitalgespräch, feat. Frank Wilhelm-Mauch of Saarland University and Forschungszentrum Jülich, 15 July 2025
Further informationen:
Link to Digitalgespräch episode 15 “Counting with Physics: Quantum Computers in Reality” with Frank Wilhelm-Mauch: https://zevedi.de/en/digitalgespraech-015-frank-wilhelm-mauch-2/
Link to the website of the OpenSuperQPlus project: https://opensuperqplus.eu/
Link to the website for the United Nations International Year of Quantum Science and Technology: https://quantum2025.org/
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The podcast is in German. At the moment there is no English version or transcript available.