An Industry Consortium Perspective on Evalutating Practical Applications of Quantum Computing Technologies

In this talk, we share insights on the practical application of quantum computing gained through a multi-year Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) project developing tools and techniques for measuring and facilitating progress toward quantum utility. Quantum computation is advancing from noisy intermediate-scale (NISQ) devices to large-scale fault-tolerant and error-corrected quantum computers (FTQC) that will augment classical high-performance computing systems. Rigorous scientific techniques now enable evaluation of component and system-level performance, while application-oriented benchmarking tools provide insights into viability, cost, and solution quality.

Our studies reveal significant limitations in current NISQ devices, both in the scale of addressable problems and in solution quality. Resource analysis shows that achieving quantum advantage requires capabilities orders of magnitude beyond current hardware. Even identifying which applications are best suited for quantum computation remains challenging given the gap between theoretical promise and practical implementation. Moreover, FTQC alone may not guarantee good algorithm performance; new algorithmic approaches and hardware enhancements will still be necessary to realize practical benefits.

To accelerate progress, we are making exploration tools readily available to a broader user community through an integrated framework that supports diverse use cases and multiple quantum computing platforms. Our approach uniquely emphasizes both solution quality and execution time as key metrics of practicality, enabling users to realistically evaluate quantum applications. This comprehensive yet accessible framework aims to stimulate innovation in both algorithm design and hardware development, essential steps toward realizing practical quantum computing applications.