Don’t miss the chance on quantum technology

The Ministry of Science and ICT has announced a strategy to develop quantum science and technology for the country. It aims to develop and use a quantum computer, occupy the global market with cutting-edge quantum sensors, merge them with the defense and cutting-edge industry and open a new era for Korea to become the center of the global quantum economy by 2035.

The government plans to invest at least 3 trillion won ($2.3 billion) in the field together with the private sector to raise our quantum technology up to 85 percent of leading countries. President Yoon Suk Yeol stressed that quantum technology will bring about tremendous innovations across the board, adding that it will present both opportunity and challenge.

Quantum technology is expected to spike revolutionary changes in the lives of mankind particularly given the destructiveness involved in the dramatic transition. If Korea fails to ride the wave of the so-called “disruptive technology” in a timely manner, it will permanently remain as a second-class country.

Quantum computers can solve hard calculations in just three to four minutes. The amazing capability of quantum computers will certainly open a totally new world for various fields. Its computing power will even revoke the current digital coding system, posing serious challenges for security systems starting with the financial sector.

But Korea lived in a different world. While IBM and Google developed quantum computers — and China succeeded in quantum information communication in 2018 through the Micius satellite, the first satellite dedicated entirely to quantum experiments — Korea’s quantum science and technology merely stays at 63 percent of the leaders.

Experts advised the government to take the following actions if it wants to make the country a leader in the quantum economy by 2035. First of all, Korea must not be trapped into the so-called R&D paradox and briskly move on to real businesses. To do that, the government must collaborate with corporate giants like Samsung from the early stages. Without head-on-head discussions and debates with them, the job is impossible. Also, the government must establish close networks with outstanding Korean scholars at home and abroad, including Duke University professor Kim Jung-sang, the co-founder of IonQ, a quantum computer start-up.

The government should also be wary of half-baked experts. The number of self-proclaimed experts in quantum technology reportedly has reached hundreds in the country, which is similar to the sudden abundance of books on ChatGPT. It could be a long way to go, but we cannot avoid it.