Quantum Computing: Talent Gap and Software Challenges Threaten Progress Say IQM

IQM Quantum Solutions’ 2025 ‘State of Quantum’ report identifies a critical talent shortage and the need for robust software platforms as primary obstacles to quantum computing’s commercial development. The report, released on 10 June 2025, assesses the current landscape of the quantum industry, noting that while qubit development continues, progress is constrained by a lack of skilled personnel and insufficient software tools to effectively utilise existing and near-term quantum hardware. The analysis highlights these factors as more pressing concerns than solely increasing qubit counts for realising practical quantum applications.

• Talent shortages in quantum and growth-stage funding, particularly outside the US, are the two most significant systemic risks to the industry’s continued growth.
• Software development kit (SDK) fragmentation hampers portability and slows adoption in multi-vendor settings.
• High-performance computing (HPC), quantum computing, and artificial intelligence (AI) are converging to drive the next wave of growth in advanced computing.
• The global quantum computing market is expected to surpass $22 billion by 2032 as commercial deployments accelerate.

The escalating demand for skilled personnel presents a significant challenge to the development of quantum technologies, with current projections indicating a substantial disparity between the available workforce and the industry’s evolving requirements. This quantum computing talent shortage impacts numerous specialisations, demanding attention from both academic institutions and industry leaders to cultivate a robust pipeline of qualified professionals. Addressing this challenge requires a multifaceted approach encompassing education, training, and strategic recruitment initiatives to ensure sustained progress in the field. The competitive pressure for qualified personnel extends beyond fundamental research roles, affecting a company’s ability to scale operations and fulfil commercial commitments.

The scarcity of expertise extends beyond fundamental research roles, affecting the ability of companies to scale their operations and fulfil commercial commitments. Organisations are increasingly compelled to offer substantial financial incentives and benefits packages to attract and retain talent, escalating operational costs and creating competitive pressures within the industry. Expertise in areas such as quantum error correction and fault-tolerant architectures remains particularly elusive, driving up recruitment costs and intensifying competition for skilled professionals. Beyond recruitment, maintaining a qualified workforce requires continuous professional development, as the rapid evolution of quantum technologies necessitates ongoing training to ensure personnel remain proficient in the latest algorithms, hardware platforms, and software tools.

Developing and validating quantum algorithms requires extensive simulation; however, current simulators often prove computationally expensive and lack the fidelity necessary to model complex quantum systems accurately. Improvements in simulation technology are crucial for accelerating algorithm development and reducing dependence on limited access to quantum hardware. The absence of established debugging and verification methodologies for quantum software further complicates matters, presenting a significant impediment to progress. Addressing the software challenge requires a shift in focus from solely increasing qubit counts to prioritising the development of a comprehensive software ecosystem, including robust debugging tools and verification methodologies.

Identifying and correcting errors in quantum algorithms proves significantly more challenging than in classical software, due to the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics and the difficulty of observing quantum states without disturbing them. New tools and techniques are needed to facilitate the development of reliable and trustworthy quantum applications, demanding innovative approaches to software validation. This comprehensive approach will facilitate the development of reliable and trustworthy quantum applications, accelerating the progress of quantum computing. Investing in internal training programmes and external educational opportunities is therefore critical, but represents a further financial burden for companies operating in this rapidly evolving landscape.

The development of compilers optimised for quantum hardware represents a particular challenge, as traditional compilation techniques prove inadequate for exploiting the unique characteristics of quantum processors, such as superposition and entanglement. New algorithms and optimisation strategies are required to map quantum algorithms efficiently onto specific hardware architectures, minimising errors and maximising performance. Establishing industry-wide standards would foster innovation and accelerate the development of a robust quantum software ecosystem, promoting interoperability and code portability. Furthermore, the lack of standardised quantum programming languages hinders interoperability and code portability, creating vendor lock-in and complicating the task of building complex quantum applications that leverage multiple hardware platforms.

The proliferation of proprietary languages and SDKs complicates development efforts and limits the potential for collaboration within the quantum community. The integration of quantum computing with existing high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure is also crucial, as hybrid quantum-classical algorithms are likely to dominate the near-term landscape. Developing software tools that seamlessly integrate quantum and classical resources is therefore a priority, demanding a re-evaluation of existing software architectures and the development of new programming models. Hybrid algorithms, which delegate computationally intensive tasks to quantum processors while retaining control and data management on classical systems, require efficient partitioning of tasks between quantum and classical resources.

The development of high-level programming languages and user-friendly development environments is crucial for broadening the user base and accelerating application development, as current tools often require significant expertise in quantum physics and computer science. Investing in these tools will lower the barrier to entry for developers and enable a wider range of applications to be built on quantum hardware. Fostering collaboration between quantum hardware developers and software engineers is essential to ensure that software platforms are optimised for specific hardware architectures.

• Sector Readiness: 57% of survey respondents placed drug-discovery and molecular-modelling workloads as their top quantum priority list, ahead of finance and chemicals.
• Funding: After a dip in 2023, venture funding surged again in 2024, with 58% of cumulative quantum venture funding still flowing to North American firms, with average deal sizes ($38M) triple those in Europe ($12M).
• Challenges Ahead: Talent shortages in quantum and growth-stage funding outside the US are the two most significant systemic risks to the industry’s continued growth.