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📢📜New paper alert! Framework for understanding quantum computing use cases from a multidisciplinary perspective and future research directions

Anastasija Nikiforova Leave a comment

This post is dedicated to the “Framework for understanding quantum computing use cases from a multidisciplinary perspective and future research directions” (Ukpabi, D.C., Karjaluoto, H., Botticher, A., Nikiforova, A., Petrescu, D.I., Schindler, P., Valtenbergs, V., Lehmann, L.) paper that just has been published in Futures journal (Elsevier, Q1 in both (1) Business and International Management, (2) Development, (3) Sociology and Political Science) in an open access.

Recently, there has been increasing awareness of the tremendous opportunities inherent in quantum computing. It is expected that the speed and efficiency of quantum computing will significantly impact the Internet of Things, cryptography, finance, and marketing. Accordingly, there has been increased quantum computing research funding from national and regional governments and private firms. However, critical concerns regarding legal, political, and business-related policies germane to quantum computing adoption exist. Therefore, recently a call for a framework from an interdisciplinary perspective has been made to help an understanding the potential impact of quantum computing on society, which is vital to improve strategic planning and management by governments and other stakeholders. The lack of such a framework is due to the fact that quantum computing per se is a highly technical domain, hence most of the existing studies focus heavily on the technical aspects of quantum computing. In contrast, our study highlights its practical and social uses cases, which are needed for the increased interest of governments. More specifically, our study took this call and offered a preliminary version of a framework for understanding the social, economic and political use cases of quantum computing, as well as identified possible areas of market disruption and offer empirically based recommendations that are critical for forecasting, planning, and strategically positioning QCs for accelerated diffusion, incl. definition of 52 Research Questions that will be critical for the adoption of quantum computing.


To this end, we conducted a gray literature research, whose outputs were structured in accordance with Dwivedi et al. (2021) that embodies environment, users, & application areas. We then validated through the discussing the findings with the quantum computing community at QWorld Quantum Science Days 2023 (QSD 2023) (on which I posted before 👉 here).

In short:

  • the hottest application areas are 🔥🔥🔥 business & finance, renewable energy, medicine & pharmaceuticals, & manufacturing 🔥🔥🔥;
  • at the level of environment – ecosystem, security, jurisprudence, institutional change & geopolitics;
  • users – customers, firms, countries or governments, to be more precise, with the reference to both national and local governments.

We then dived into these areas, and come up with the most popular & promising & overlooked topics, and as the very end-result, define 52 research questions, i.e., very specific things that are expected to be covered in the future to understand the current state-of-the-art, as well as transformations needed at various levels. The insights offered by various contributors from diverse disciplines – business, information systems, quantum computing, political science, and law offer a broad-based view of the potential of quantum computing to different aspects of our technological, economic, and social development. This framework is intended to help in identifying possible areas of market disruption offering empirically based recommendations that are critical for forecasting, planning, and strategically positioning prior to quantum computing emergence.

This is a truly a “happy end!” for the consortia that we built ~3 years ago – with Germany, Spain, Finland, Romania, and Latvia – while working on a project proposal to CHANSE call “Transformations: Social and Cultural Dynamics in the Digital Age”. We went there much far beyond my expectations, i.e. in fact, we were notified that this time we will not be granted the funding for the project at the very last stage, having gone through all those intermediate evaluation rounds, which were already fascinating news (at least for me). While working on the proposal and building our network, we conducted a preliminary analysis of the area, which then, regardless of the output of the application, we decided to continue and bring to at least some logical end. We like our result so decided to make it publicly available.

All in all, this is our warm welcome to read the paper -> here

And just in case you prefer a condensed version, you can just watch the video of the talk I delivered at QWorld Quantum Science Days 2023 (QSD 2023) 👇

References:

Dandison Ukpabi, Heikki Karjaluoto, Astrid Bötticher, Anastasija Nikiforova, Dragoş PETRESCU, Paulina Schindler, Visvaldis Valtenbergs, Lennard Lehmann, Framework for Understanding Quantum Computing Use Cases From A Multidisciplinary Perspective and Future Research Directions, Futures, 2023, 103277, ISSN 0016-3287, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2023.103277.

Dwivedi, Y. K., Ismagilova, E., Hughes, D. L., Carlson, J., Filieri, R., Jacobson, J., … & Wang, Y. (2021). Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research: Perspectives and research propositions. International Journal of Information Management, 59, 102168.

💬💬💬 Contributed talk for QWorld Quantum Science Days 2023 (QSD 2023)

Anastasija Nikiforova 1 Comment

In the very last days of May 2023, I had yet another experience – I delivered a contributed talk at QWorld Quantum Science Days 2023 (QSD 2023) titled “Framework for understanding quantum computing use cases from a multidisciplinary perspective and future research directions” (Ukpabi, D.C., Karjaluoto, H., Botticher, A., Nikiforova, A., Petrescu, D.I., Schindler, P., Valtenbergs, V., Lehmann, L., & Yakaryılmaz, A), which, in fact, is based on the paper we made publicly available some time ago and developed it even earlier when together with Germany, Spain, Finland, Romania, and Latvia we built a consortia and submitted a project proposal to CHANSE call “Transformations: Social and Cultural Dynamics in the Digital Age”. We went there much far beyond my expectations, i.e. in fact, we were notified that this time we will not be granted the funding for the project at the very last stage, having gone through all those intermediate evaluation rounds, which were already fascinating news (at least for me). While working on the proposal and building our network, we conducted a preliminary analysis of the area, which then, regardless of the output of the application, we decided to continue and bring to at least some logical end. We like our result so decided to make it publicly available. And now, a few years from that, we submitted our work to QWorld Quantum Science Days 2023 (QSD 2023) and were accepted. It was a big surprise, and I, as the person delegated by our team to present our study, delivered this talk, where I finally familiarized the audience with our findings. What was my surprise when my talk, which followed immediately after the keynote “Let’s talk about Quantum; Societal readiness through science communication research” delivered on behalf of Quantum DELTA NL by Julia Cramer, was in the very similar direction? It is also worth mentioning a very interesting coincidence that while the keynote elaborated on the DELTA that stands for five major quantum hubs, namely Delft, Eindhoven, Leiden, Twente, Amsterdam, I was preparing the last things for my presentation located in the Delta building – it is the name of the building my office is located in. In both cases, no connection with COVID-19 😀

🤔 What is the paper about?

There has been increasing awareness of the tremendous opportunities inherent in quantum computing. It is expected that the speed and efficiency of quantum computing will significantly impact the Internet of Things, cryptography, finance, and marketing. Accordingly, there has been increased quantum computing research funding from national and regional governments and private firms. However, ❗❗❗ critical concerns regarding legal, political, and business-related policies germane to quantum computing adoption exist ❗❗❗

Since this is an emerging and highly technical domain, most of the existing studies focus heavily on the technical aspects of quantum computing. In contrast, our study highlights its practical and social uses cases, which are needed for the increased interest of governments. More specifically, our study offers a multidisciplinary review of quantum computing, drawing on the expertise of scholars from a wide range of disciplines whose insights coalesce into a framework that simplifies the understanding of quantum computing, identifies possible areas of market disruption and offer empirically based recommendations that are critical for forecasting, planning, and strategically positioning QCs for accelerated diffusion.

"Framework for understanding quantum computing use cases from a multidisciplinary perspective and future research directions" (Ukpabi, D.C., Karjaluoto, H., Botticher, A., Nikiforova, A., Petrescu, D.I., Schindler, P., Valtenbergs, V., Lehmann, L., & Yakaryılmaz, A)

To this end, we conducted a gray literature research, whose outputs were then structured in accordance with Dwivedi et al., 2021 (Dwivedi et al. (2021). Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research: Perspectives and research propositions. International Journal of Information Management, 59, 102168), which embodies three broad areas—environment, users, and application areas—and the dominant sub-themes presented in figure below. We found that for application areas, business and finance, renewable energy, medicine & pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing are now the hottest. While for environment, we found subdomains such as ecosystem, security, jurisprudence, institutional change & geopolitics. And for the users, nothing surprising – as typically, customers, firms, countries. We then dive into each of those areas, as well as later come up with the most popular topics, the most promising, and overlooked.

Sounds interesting? Read the paper here, find slides here, watch video here.

Quantum Science Days is an annual, international, and virtual scientific conference organized by QWorld (Association) to provide opportunities to the quantum community to present and discuss their research results at all levels (from short projects to thesis work to research publications), and to get to know each other. The third edition (QSD2023) included 7 invited speakers, 10 thematic talks on “Building an Open Quantum Ecosystem”, 31 contributed talks, an industrial demo session by Classiq, and a career talk on quantum. QSD2023 was sponsored by Unitary Fund & Classiq and supported by Latvian Quantum Initiative.

Qworld