Daniela Herrmann, Co-Founder of Dynex, shares how quantum computing brings about greener solutions.
As the world faces mounting challenges like climate change, resource scarcity, and growing energy demands, the call for transformative technologies is louder than ever. Addressing the intricate, data-intensive demands of today’s global challenges requires computational power beyond the capabilities of traditional systems.
Quantum computing rises to meet this need, harnessing unparalleled analytical depth and complexity management to deliver transformative solutions. With its ability to solve real-world problems at scale, quantum systems and Quantum-as-a-Service (QaaS) technology offer unprecedented opportunities to enable sustainability innovations across industries. To fully realise this potential, it is essential to strategically direct efforts toward impactful, high-priority applications—those capable of addressing urgent global challenges—while fostering deliberate innovation through collaboration, investment, and ethical stewardship.
Quantum Computing: A Tool for Solving Today’s Sustainability Challenges
Quantum computing isn’t just an incremental improvement over traditional systems—it operates on a completely different level. By leveraging quantum principles like superposition, where a quantum bit (qubit) can exist in multiple states simultaneously, and entanglement, which allows qubits to remain interconnected regardless of distance, quantum computers can analyse complex systems and optimise solutions exponentially faster than classical computers for specific problem types.
These principles enable quantum systems to process vast amounts of data and explore multiple possibilities simultaneously, making them particularly valuable for sustainability-focused initiatives where complexity and scale often pose barriers to progress.
Quantum computing offers transformative potential to address sustainability challenges across a wide range of fields. For example, in disaster management, quantum-powered models can simulate and predict complex environmental risks, helping cities and governments optimise resources for flood defences, wildfire containment, and emergency responses.
In the realm of infrastructure, advanced quantum simulations can transform the design of resilient buildings and critical systems, enabling them to withstand earthquakes, floods, and other natural disasters. This not only mitigates human casualties but also minimises economic losses by optimising materials, engineering techniques, and response strategies tailored to specific environmental risks.
In transportation, quantum-inspired optimisation tools can streamline the development of high-speed transit systems, improve their energy efficiency, and enhance safety measures, contributing to more sustainable and connected urban environments.
Transforming Industries Through Quantum Computing
Quantum computing’s impact on sustainability is not limited to a single sector. From energy and transportation to agriculture and beyond, industries are increasingly recognising and advancing its potential to drive innovative solutions to complex global challenges:
Energy and Utilities
Traditional energy systems struggle to seamlessly integrate renewable energy sources. Quantum computing can help optimise energy grids, improve battery technologies, and reduce waste in energy transmission, all of which are essential for a decarbonised future.
Transportation
As one of the largest contributors to global emissions, the transportation sector stands to benefit significantly from quantum innovations. From optimising supply chains to simulating energy-efficient vehicle designs, quantum computing offers tools that can reduce emissions and improve operational efficiency.
Agriculture
eeding a growing global population while minimising environmental impact is a complex equation. Quantum systems can optimise resource use, predict crop yields, and improve pest control strategies, helping to create a more sustainable food system.
Industries today are facing their limits. Early movers that adopt quantum technologies now will lead the ongoing transition to sustainability. Others risk falling behind in a rapidly changing landscape.
Making Quantum Computing More Accessible
Despite its promise, quantum computing is not without its challenges. Traditional systems are resource-intensive, requiring specialised facilities and consuming significant amounts of energy. This raises a valid question: how can such a demanding technology enable sustainability solutions? The answer lies in innovation.
Decentralised quantum computing offers a potential solution by leveraging existing hardware and distributing computations across global networks. This approach of Quantum-as-a-Service (QaaS) technology reduces reliance on energy-intensive setups, provides access to quantum capabilities, and bridges the gap between current infrastructure and advanced quantum systems. By enhancing efficiency and scalability, decentralised models help ensure that quantum computing can support industries without exacerbating environmental concerns.
Prioritising Impactful Applications
Policymakers and industry leaders must carefully direct investments toward sustainability-focused use cases, such as optimising energy systems and improving climate models, while maintaining a strong commitment to ethical integrity. It is essential to establish robust ethical frameworks that guide its application and help harness its transformative potential to address pressing challenges while mitigating risks of misuse.
A Call for Action in Sustainable Innovation
Quantum computing represents one of the most promising tools in the pursuit of a more sustainable future, but its success depends on businesses recognising its potential and integrating it into their operations. Industries must embrace it not as an optional advantage but as a critical component of their future strategies.
The stakes are clear: quantum computing can enable sustainable innovations, such as more efficient energy systems, more efficient transportation networks, and sustainable food production. But these outcomes are not guaranteed. They require deliberate choices to help guarantee this technology is applied where it matters most and that it is made affordable and accessible.
This isn’t just about keeping pace with innovation—it’s about guiding it to address real-world problems at scale. By leveraging quantum computing to drive sustainable and societal advancements, we can align technological progress with the urgent needs of the planet and its people, paving the way for a future that is not only more advanced but also ethically grounded.
Daniela Herrmann is the Co-Founder of Dynex, a leading Quantum-as-a-Service (QaaS) technology, solving real-world problems at scale. She is also the Mission Leader of Dynex Moonshots, which serves as the strategic, investment and ethical steward of the Dynex Ecosystem, and invests in companies, academia, research programs, and grant programs with a mission to accelerate pioneering solutions for the betterment of the world and beyond.
