Albert Efimov, Vice President of Research and Innovation at Sberbank, emphasized during the session “Quantum Supremacy: In Search of Practical Application” that advancing quantum technologies hinges on close collaboration with customers. He argued that real progress in this field requires a connected ecosystem where researchers, manufacturers, and business leaders align their efforts, share insights, and push for tangible demonstrations of quantum capabilities that can be adopted by industry. Efimov highlighted that Russia’s quantum journey will progress faster if the national community gathers more researchers, if manufacturers participate actively, and if the business sector becomes more open to embracing new approaches. This collaborative momentum is seen as essential to unlocking practical outcomes from quantum research and turning theoretical potential into value.
During the discussion, Mikhail Korolkov, the head of the Gazprom Neft Center for Digital Technologies, noted that the initial move for businesses is to identify concrete problems that quantum computing could help solve. He suggested a pragmatic approach: enterprises should catalog tasks that, due to their complexity or scale, stand to gain from quantum-based solutions. By focusing on defined challenges, the industry can create a pathway for testing, validating, and integrating quantum concepts within existing workflows. Korolkov underscored that success will come from framing pilot projects that demonstrate measurable business impact and from cultivating internal expertise to sustain momentum.
Stanislav Straupe, Head of the Quantum Computing Sector at the Center for Quantum Technologies of Moscow State University, and the leader of the Scientific Atomic and Optical Quantum Computing Group at the Russian Quantum Center (RCC), spoke about the core obstacles in advancing quantum technologies. He emphasized the need to bridge the gap between theoretical designs and practical, resource-aware implementations. Straupe pointed out that several viable paths exist for constructing a scalable quantum computer, each requiring different types of resources and collaborations. He urged business stakeholders to stay grounded, ensuring that tasks and objectives align with what can realistically be built given current and near-term capabilities. His remarks highlighted the importance of clarity in the aims of industry players as research progresses toward tangible deployment.
There are now multiple perspectives on how a full-scale quantum computer could be physically realized. The business world should engage with these perspectives, not in a vacuum, but by evaluating them against real-world resource constraints and market needs. By adopting an informed view of the available architectures and their implications for cost, reliability, and scalability, industry leaders can participate in shaping a practical roadmap. The discussion illustrated a shared understanding that theoretical breakthroughs must be translated into concrete plans, with pilots, validations, and procedural steps that demonstrate value to customers and partners alike. This collaborative posture is seen as crucial to moving from promising concepts to deployable quantum technologies that can influence commerce and industry.