Today is World Quantum Day and many tech and science enthusiasts celebrate “the wonders of quantum science” as the official page puts it. The choice of date, 14 April, is no coincidence. The site explains: “The World Quantum Day is celebrated on April 14, a reference to 4.14, the rounded first digits of Planck’s constant: 4.1356677×10−15 eV⋅s = 0.000 000 000 000 004 1356677 electron volt second, a product of energy and time that is the fundamental constant governing quantum physics.”
It was first launched on 14 April 2021 where a countdown towards the first global celebration on 14 April 2022 began.
Dr Sebastian Weidt, CEO of Universal Quantum, commented on World Quantum Day, saying, “World Quantum Day is a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come, but also serves as a reminder that the decisions being made now carry lasting consequences.
“Quantum is no longer confined to research papers and theoretical roadmaps. The UK has the science, and it now has the funding too. The Government’s recent £2 billion commitment is a significant signal of intent – but investment alone will not determine the success of quantum technology.”
What Does The UK Quantum Industry Need In 2026?
Weidt continues, “What it needs is the strategy, expertise and execution to convert that into operational advantage. Quantum is not a single technology. It spans computing, sensing, encryption and timing, and each will shape future defence capability and national resilience. The priority must now be to focus on directing investment toward scalable technologies and sovereign capabilities that will matter in ten years’ time, not just in headlines today.
“The UK only has 12-18 months to establish genuine sovereign capability before the window of opportunity closes. The companies, IP and supply chains needed to build a thriving domestic quantum ecosystem need to be locked in now.
“Waiting until quantum reaches commercial utility will be too late.
“We’ve seen what happens when the UK leads in research but doesn’t retain the value. Britain helped pioneer AI, but too often the value was captured elsewhere. Quantum is the next test of whether the UK can back its champions decisively and build enduring strategic advantage.
“World Quantum Day deserves celebration. The science is extraordinary, and the progress is tangible. Governments are signing contracts, private capital is flowing, and the talent pipeline is stronger than ever. We’ve proven that quantum computing matters to our technological sovereignty. The question now is whether the countries that built the foundations of quantum computing will also capture its value.”
Industry Reflections On Quantum
More experts have shared their insights on what Quantum looks like in 2026 and what developments we are seeing. Here’s what they said:
AJ Thompson, Chief Commercial Officer, Northdoor plc, On Recent Developments:
Hardware Advances
“The work here reflects a broader realignment across the industry of moving beyond just saturating qubits and instead focusing on coherence and connectivity and overall system reliability.
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First Real-World Applications
“Early and gradual adoption at industrial scale already visible in finance(money optimisation + risk management), pharma (simulation vs real world data for drug discovery) and logistics(flow, operations opti¬misations)
Cloud Access
“Cloud giants ranging from IBM and AWS to Microsoft and Google are now looking to provide pay-as-you-go quantum access, which will turn into the next cloud battlefront where providers compete on continuously improving intuitive interfaces and toolkits.
Post-Quantum Cryptography
“Enterprises will increasingly pour money into implementing post-quantum cryptography in facing the unprecedented threat of Q-Day to come, while new government and regulatory requirements will add to that need.
“Scientists have likened it to the decades-long development path of classical electronics, pointing out that paradigm-shifting advances take years or decades to migrate over from research labs and into industrial manufacturing — underscoring that quantum technology will likely follow a similar trajectory. The progress is real and has been accelerating, but actual commercial scale capability at full scale is still likely several years away.”
Chris Harris, EMEA Technical Director, Data & Application Security At Thales, Reflecting On Post-Quantum:
“The post-quantum threat is no longer theoretical, it is already shaping today’s risk landscape. While quantum computing promises transformative breakthroughs, it will also fundamentally undermine the cryptographic foundations that protect our digital economy.
“What’s changed is the timeline. The question is no longer if quantum will break current encryption, but when, and attackers are already exploiting that gap. “Harvest now, decrypt later” has become the leading concern for organisations, with 61% citing it as their top quantum risk . Sensitive data stolen today could be exposed years from now, creating a long-tail security liability that many organisations are still underestimating.
“At the same time, most organisations are not in a position to respond effectively. Only 34% have full visibility of where their data resides, and less than half of sensitive cloud data is encrypted. You can’t protect what you can’t see – and in a quantum context, that visibility gap becomes a strategic risk, not just an operational one.
“There are signs of progress. Nearly six in ten organisations are already experimenting with post-quantum cryptography, signalling a shift from awareness to action . But experimentation alone is not enough. The real challenge is industrialising this transition – embedding crypto-agility, modernising key management, and identifying where cryptography sits across increasingly complex, cloud-first environments.
“Preparing for a post-quantum world is not a single upgrade; it’s a transformation in how organisations approach data security. That means acting now: mapping cryptographic dependencies, prioritising high-value data with long confidentiality lifecycles, and building the foundations for quantum-safe architectures.
“The organisations that start now will be the ones ready for the quantum era.”
