Insider Brief
- A UK survey commissioned by D-Wave found that 65% of large enterprises are already adopting or testing quantum computing, and 41% estimate it could generate more than £100 million in value within a year.
- Business leaders identified optimization tasks such as workforce scheduling, resource allocation, supply chain management, and manufacturing processes as the most promising near-term applications for quantum computing.
- Cost, limited expertise, and low awareness remain key barriers to adoption, but growing interest in improving AI performance and computational efficiency is driving broader enterprise engagement with quantum technologies.
- Photo by Sander Crombach on Unsplash
PRESS RELEASE — Forty-one percent of large UK enterprises surveyed estimate quantum computing could unlock more than £100 million in value to their business in as little as one year, according to new findings from Censuswide and D-Wave Quantum Inc. (“D-Wave” or the “Company”). That expectation is also reflected in action: 65% of the UK business leaders surveyed are already adopting or testing quantum computing. More than a quarter of UK business leaders surveyed (26%) said that their organisation is actively adopting quantum computing, while a further 39% are experimenting through pilots or proof-of-concept initiatives.
The findings are detailed in a new report, “The Quantum Effect: How Quantum Computing is Reshaping Business Todayin Preparation for Tomorrow’s Quantum Economy,” which examines how organisations are moving from theoretical exploration of quantum computing into practical application.
“The era of enterprise quantum computing adoption has arrived. Companies are no longer asking if they should explore quantum, but how quickly they can implement it,” said Murray Thom, vice president of quantum technology evangelism at D-Wave. “This study shows that UK organisations increasingly see quantum computing as a practical tool for tackling real business challenges, from supply chain optimisation to manufacturing to AI. As a result, we are beginning to see the Quantum Effect take shape across the UK market.”
Quantum computing moves from future promise to practical value
Survey respondents are recognising the potential value of quantum computing in the enterprise. More than a third (34%) of surveyed UK business leaders now view quantum computing as an emerging business tool, while 20% said it is already a strategic boardroom priority. Surveyed organisations actively engaging with quantum computing estimate nearly twice the commercial value of those waiting for the technology to mature and are more likely to believe it is already delivering value today: 37%, compared with 16% of business leaders overall. The findings suggest early engagement may sharpen organisations’ understanding of where quantum computing can create business advantage.
Optimisation emerges as the clearest near-term opportunity
Surveyed UK business leaders identified several areas that would benefit from improved optimisation, including workforce scheduling (90%), resource allocation (89%), supply chain optimisation (88%) and manufacturing processes (82%). These are the kinds of complex problems well suited to annealing quantum computing, suggesting optimisation may be one of the clearest early bridges between enterprise needs and quantum computing adoption.
AI and infrastructure pressures prompt enterprises to explore new computing approaches
The study also points to growing pressure on enterprises to improve the return on investment (ROI) and efficiency of AI. More than a third (35%) of surveyed UK business leaders said AI has delivered some ROI, but results have fallen below expectations, while nearly two-thirds (62%) expressed concern about whether existing energy infrastructure can support the continued expansion of AI and other compute-intensive technologies. Against that backdrop, 87% said quantum computing could help optimise AI-related processes and complex computational challenges.
Quantum adoption creates the need for cross-enterprise literacy
The study also found that UK business leaders still face barriers to broader quantum computing implementation, including cost concerns (46%), lack of internal expertise (33%) and limited awareness (30%). As experimentation and adoption expand, quantum literacy will need to extend beyond technical teams so leaders across business functions can understand where quantum computing could reshape planning, optimisation and decision-making. Businesses gaining hands-on experience today may be better positioned to evaluate and apply the technology as enterprise adoption expands.
Methodology
The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 1,003 senior business decision makers across the UK. The data was collected between 07.05.2026 – 13.05.2026.
