The Business of Quantum Technologies: From Theory to Innovation Strategy

Quantum technologies (QT) are rapidly advancing from scientific propositions to commercial realities. QT leverage quantum mechanics, the physics of sub-atomic particles, to deliver functionalities and performance that are otherwise impossible to obtain. QT have already transformed our daily life  but the next generation goes further by manipulating previously unexploited quantum phenomena to enable a wide range of new applications, which will have a transformative effect on production, business ecosystems and the innovation strategy of the coming decades. This open access book aims to provide the conceptual frameworks to better understand the economic and managerial implications of this dawning phenomenon.

Chapters include discussions of quantum computers, quantum communications, and sensing, imaging and timing technologies, providing succinct descriptions of the technology and theory and devoting analysis to the expected business and organisational impact of these breakthroughs. Also exploring strategy and innovation management, sustainability potential and ethics, it will be of great interest to scholars of innovation, strategy and entrepreneurship, as well as practitioners and policymakers looking to better understand the future of business.

Chander Velu is Professor of Innovation and Economics at the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, UK. He heads the Business Model Innovation Research Group at the IfM. He is Fellow at Selwyn College, Cambridge, and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Prior to joining the IfM, he was a member of the faculty at Cambridge Judge Business School. He has worked as a consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers and Booz Allen & Hamilton in London. 

Keith Norman is part of the engagement team at the Hub for Quantum Computing via Integrated and Interconnected Implementations (QCi3) at the University of Oxford, UK, and seconded into the Office for Quantum in the UK Department of Science, Innovation and Technology. He was formerly a researcher at the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) at the University of Cambridge Department of Engineering, and spent 25 years in technology consultancy. He holds a PhD in High Energy Physics, based on research he carried out at CERN, Geneva. 

Yuzhen Zhu is a Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Digital Business and Information Systems at Norwich Business School, University of East Anglia (UEA), UK. He holds a PhD in Information Systems Management and his research interest lies in the business and organizational implications of emerging digital technologies, particularly on their adoptions and (eco)systems development. Prior to taking up his current role, he completed his Post-Doc at the University of Cambridge.

Fathiro Hutama Reksa Putra is a Lecturer in the Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management Department at Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Indonesia. He holds a PhD in Innovation Management from the University of Leeds and a Master’s degree in the same field from TU Eindhoven. His research interests lie in the intersection between the adoption of emerging technologies, business model innovation, and sustainability transitions. His research has been published in reputable journals such as Nature and Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal. Prior to joining the ITB, he was a research associate at the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), University of Cambridge. 

Christopher Noble is Co-Director for Engagement at the Hub for Quantum Computing via Integrated and Interconnected Implementations (QCi3) led by the University of Oxford, UK. He is responsible for the hub’s industrial relations, linking businesses to academia and supporting the UK’s growing quantum economy. He is a Chartered Engineer, with a background in advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies. He has held a variety of engineering and business development positions, and he is a named inventor on several patents.