When quantum mechanics was first developed a century ago, it was mostly an abstract concept. It offered a unique and complex method for explaining how particles behave at the tiniest levels of reality. For many years, only physicists explored its equations, paradoxes, and thought experiments.
That time, according to Klaus Ensslin, a professor at ETH Zurich, is coming to an end.
He believes that within the next decade, quantum technology will no longer be a specialized scientific field but will become a familiar aspect of everyday life. It will be a part of education systems, industrial tools, secure communications, and technology that many users may not even realize is quantum.
“We are entering the phase where quantum technology becomes normal,” Ensslin says. “It will simply be part of how things work.”
From Theory to Technology: Why Quantum’s Moment Is Now
Quantum mechanics is not new. Its foundations were established in the early 20th century, changing humanity’s understanding of matter, energy, and information. However, turning those ideas into real-world technology took much longer than early pioneers expected.
Ensslin explains that the delay had little to do with a lack of ideas and everything to do with engineering.
In physics, knowing how something works doesn’t necessarily mean it can be built. Moving from theory to practical application often needs entirely new tools, materials, and manufacturing methods.
History provides a familiar example. Isaac Newton laid out the laws of motion and gravity in the 1600s, yet it took centuries before those principles led to turbines, aircraft, and modern engineering systems. Quantum mechanics has experienced a similar path.
Now, nearly one hundred years after its discovery, the field has reached a stage where experimental control, fabrication accuracy, and computational modeling are advanced enough to turn delicate quantum effects into usable devices.
This change is often called the “second quantum revolution.” It marks a shift from simply observing quantum behavior to engineering it.
Quantum Education Has Already Gone Mainstream
One clear sign of the rapid growth of quantum technology is its quick adoption in university curricula.
In the past, quantum mechanics was mainly taught to physics students. Today, it is foundational knowledge across various engineering fields, including electrical, mechanical, and chemical engineering.
ETH Zurich was one of the first universities to recognize this shift by introducing a dedicated quantum engineering degree program. The response was overwhelming.
Applicants poured in, outnumbering expectations significantly. Since then, similar programs have emerged at major universities around the world. What was once specialized education has quickly become standard.
This educational growth reflects a broader change: quantum technology is no longer treated as a theoretical specialty but as a practical skill set.
Students are learning how to design, control, and implement quantum systems, not just how to describe them mathematically.
Where Quantum Technology Already Works Today
While there is a great deal of attention on quantum computing, Ensslin points out that quantum technology is already providing real benefits in several areas.
For instance, quantum sensors are no longer just experimental. Companies are now making devices that can detect tiny changes in gravity, magnetic fields, and time with remarkable precision. These tools are being used in navigation, geology, medical imaging, and materials science.
Quantum cryptography has also moved beyond the lab. Secure communication systems based on quantum principles are already available for purchase from companies that employ hundreds of workers and have commercial clients.
Quantum computing, on the other hand, is still earlier in its development.
Some systems operate under limited conditions, handling specific tasks that classical computers find challenging. However, scalability, error correction, and reliability are still major obstacles.
Ensslin believes this uneven progress is normal.
Every groundbreaking technology matures at different rates across its applications. Early computers were specialized, costly, and unreliable well before they became commonplace.
The Business Reality: Hype, Hope, and Hard Lessons
Quantum technology has garnered significant interest from investors, governments, and corporations, often faster than the technology itself can support.
The first wave of quantum startups appeared about ten to fifteen years ago. Some were successful, some made considerable changes, and others narrowly avoided failure. Several were acquired before they could turn a profit.
Ensslin warns that expectations often outpace reality, especially in such a complex and capital-intensive field as quantum engineering.
Nonetheless, new companies continue to emerge, often directly spun out from academic research.
A recent example is ZuriQ, a Swiss startup that is exploring a fundamentally different approach to building quantum computers. What makes such companies noteworthy is not just their technical ambition but also their willingness to compete in a space dominated by large international firms.
Major U.S. companies like Google and IBM run quantum programs with vast budgets and hundreds of researchers. For smaller companies, especially those in less populous countries, entering this market takes both confidence and patience.
Echoes of the Early Computer Age
The similarities between today’s quantum technology and early computing in the mid-20th century are stark.
In computing’s early days, few people could envision practical uses beyond specialized scientific or military applications. Most observers could not imagine personal computers as a reality.
Quantum technology is at a similar point now.
Today’s optimism stems from a general belief that enhanced information processing capabilities-faster computation, stronger encryption, deeper simulation-create value across almost every field.
Quantum computers, in this perspective, are not just faster machines. They represent a new way of processing information, potentially transforming areas from drug discovery to logistics optimization.
This belief fuels both excitement and pressure in the field.
Switzerland’s Early Lead – and Growing Risks
Switzerland was an early player in quantum science. In 2011, the nation launched a national research initiative that united numerous research groups under a coordinated effort.
This program helped place Switzerland as a leader, producing research breakthroughs and aiding early commercialization efforts.
However, Ensslin warns that being a leader at the start does not ensure long-term success.
Since the program’s conclusion, global investment in quantum technology has skyrocketed, often overshadowing Swiss spending. Governments in Asia, Europe, and North America now consider quantum technology a strategic priority.
China, for instance, has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in quantum research infrastructure in a single city. Other countries have set up national quantum centers and large funding programs.
Switzerland, in contrast, remains cautious.
Though it launched a new quantum initiative in 2022 with funding in the tens of millions, Ensslin believes this may not be enough in a rapidly intensifying global competition.
Falling Behind in Europe’s Quantum Push
Switzerland’s standing in Europe has also become more complex.
For years, Swiss researchers were deeply integrated into European quantum research programs. That collaboration ended when Switzerland was excluded from crucial EU initiatives due to political disagreements over broader research agreements.
During that time, the European Union continued to build large-scale quantum infrastructure, including a continental quantum cryptography network, without Swiss involvement.
Although Swiss researchers have since regained access, the gap remains.
Research ecosystems move quickly. Missing several years of coordinated development results in lost momentum, missed leadership opportunities, and reduced influence over strategic direction.
For Ensslin, this loss is not only national; it weakens the overall European research landscape.
Bottom-Up Innovation Meets Top-Down Reality
Switzerland’s research culture has typically thrived on bottom-up innovation. Scientists propose ideas, secure funding through competitive means, and form collaborations naturally.
This model has produced outstanding results across many fields.
However, Ensslin believes quantum technology may need a shift.
As the field progresses, certain decisions—like infrastructure investment, strategic ownership, and national security concerns—may require top-down coordination.
One example still concerns him: the sale of a leading Swiss quantum encryption company to foreign owners.
Ensslin argues that secure communication is not merely a commercial product; it is a strategic capability that relates to national security, independence, and long-term technological autonomy.
Allowing such assets to leave the country shows a lack of strategic vision, he states.
Why Fundamental Research Still Matters
While commercialization often takes center stage in public discussions, Ensslin insists that fundamental research is still crucial.
Quantum technology is based on delicate, counterintuitive principles. Scaling systems up might reveal behaviors that current theories do not explain.
As scientists understand it today, the laws of physics do not set a strict limit on the size of quantum systems. However, enlarging them may lead to entirely new effects-phenomena that have never been seen before.
Discovering such effects would be groundbreaking.
Quantum mechanics itself originated from experimental anomalies-results that classical physics could not clarify. Another such moment, Ensslin suggests, would be the most thrilling outcome one could hope for.
The Long View: Ten Years, Not One Hundred
Predicting the future of technology over the next century is next to impossible. However, forecasting the next decade is much more feasible—and urgent.
In ten years, Ensslin predicts quantum technology will be integrated into everyday systems:
- Secure communication networks
- Precision sensing technologies
- Specialized computational tools
- Standardized educational programs
Much of this integration will happen quietly. Users may gain from quantum-enabled systems without ever directly engaging with a quantum device.
Ironically, this invisibility will be a sign of success.
A Technology at a Turning Point
Quantum mechanics started as a radical shift from classical thinking. For a long time, it existed on chalkboards and in labs.
Now, it is moving into engineering, industry, and policy.
The next decade will decide if early leaders keep their advantage or if momentum shifts to nations and companies ready to invest boldly, strategically, and at scale.
For Ensslin, the message is clear: quantum technology is no longer something to observe from afar.
“It’s happening now,” he says. “And those who hesitate risk finding out that the future has already arrived-without them.”
