Humanity is on the cusp of a profound technological and societal shift, driven by the rise of quantum technologies. Earlier this year, controversial (and later retracted) remarks by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang claimed that “useful” quantum computing applications were still two decades away.
However, in reality, the quantum industry, which is not solely focused on computing, is already gaining substantial momentum.
The pace of progress is accelerating. Major announcements are now making headlines almost weekly, gradually embedding quantum technologies into the public consciousness. Whether it’s a revolutionary chip, a landmark trial, or a novel collaboration, 2025 feels like a pivotal moment for quantum innovation. This is fitting, given that UNESCO declared this year the ‘International Year of Quantum’. And with that, a key question is emerging: When will we see practical, commercially viable quantum technologies?
The answer is simple: they’re already here.
Of course, quantum technologies remain complex and still face hurdles, particularly in scaling and securing supply chains. However, while quantum computing has been most successful in turning the heads of investors, the media, and the public, other areas within the quantum ecosystem are far closer to having a real-world impact. In fact, we are already witnessing significant commercial traction in quantum sensing and quantum-secured communications.
So, let’s set quantum computing aside for a moment and explore the technologies that have already made the leap from the lab to market.
Quantum sensing: Seeing the unseen
Quantum sensing allows us to see what was previously undetectable, offering new ways to explore and understand the world. The technology is maturing quickly, with the first commercial systems being trialled and operated successfully in real-world environments, including in extreme conditions from the air, on land, and even underwater.
One of the most promising applications of quantum sensing lies in positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT). We rely on PNT every day, from navigating with smartphone maps to managing global shipping logistics. Unfortunately, the backbone of PNT – the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) – suffers from fragile signals, vulnerable to interference. This is not only dangerous, but costly – it’s estimated that a seven-day GNSS outage could cost the UK economy as much as £7.6 billion.
Quantum-powered atomic clocks offer a solution. By cooling atoms to near absolute zero, they harness quantum mechanics to deliver ultra-stable and precise timing. This reduces long-term drift in GNSS systems and enables the system to maintain accuracy even when satellite signals are unavailable. Atomic clocks are set to play an essential role in protecting and enhancing critical infrastructure, in addition to industries like aviation, deep-sea navigation, and space exploration. Other opportunities that may prove fruitful include applications in finance, where timestamping financial transactions is critical, or in maintaining synchronised timing across the internet.
Another key use case for quantum sensing technologies is non-destructive subsurface scanning, such as mapping the sea floor or locating underground resources. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says we’ve mapped just over 23% of the seafloor, but quantum sensing technologies could dramatically enhance our research capabilities and understanding of hidden terrain.
With that said, quantum-enhanced precision is one area already offering immense commercial value, and the more we use it, the more applications we’ll uncover.
Quantum communications: Security by design
Quantum technologies are also set to redefine the future of communications by addressing long-standing challenges in security, speed, and resilience both on Earth and in space.
At the heart of this capability is quantum coherence, which is maintaining a predictable, consistent relationship between a system’s properties over time and space. Unlike classical systems, quantum systems treat particles as both waves and particles, described through probabilistic “wave functions”. While this introduces uncertainty in individual measurements, repeating the measurements millions of times leads to extraordinary accuracy.
This statistical precision enables phenomena such as ‘superposition’ and ‘entanglement’ – terms you may have heard before, but perhaps not quite understood. The important thing to know is that these phenomena form the backbone of quantum-secure communications, since they make it easier to detect interference.
By offering encryption methods like Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), quantum can ground communications in the laws of physics, not just mathematics, making communications more resilient to both existing cyber threats and cyber threats of the future, which will be powered by quantum computing.
Numerous companies are already commercialising QKD systems and random number generators to support telecoms providers in securing their networks. With the threat of ‘Q-Day’ still looming, McKinsey estimates the quantum communication market could reach $11 billion to $15 billion by 2035. We can expect this sector to grow with rapid intensity as quantum computing capabilities expand.
The quantum moment is now
Of course, quantum computing remains a central focus of the industry for its potential to simulate complex systems, such as molecular interactions in chemistry or protein folding in healthcare, which could lead to revolutionary breakthroughs in drug discovery, materials science, and beyond. Not to mention, estimates suggest quantum computing can provide a productivity boost of up to 8.3% by 2055 in the UK.
However, while scalable quantum computers are still under development, many practical quantum applications are already here and brimming with commercial potential. We are no longer in the theoretical era of quantum technology, we are in the deployment phase. This means we can start to imagine a future where these technologies interact with one another, and think about how this might transform how we interpret and interact with the world around us.
One thing is absolutely clear: In 2025, quantum technologies are delivering real-world impact, and this is just the beginning!