3 Keys To Quantum Computing Readiness For Canadian Innovators

Lisa Lambert

CEO, Quantum Industry Canada

Hello INNOVATEwest Community,

Quantum computing might seem like something out of science fiction, but it’s already happening—and innovative organizations need to start preparing now. Speaking with INNOVATEwest, Lisa Lambert, CEO of Quantum Industry Canada, shared a few keys to quantum readiness.

Key takeaways:

  •  Start to keep an eye on the sector which is moving quickly, including emerging use cases which might be relevant to their industry (e.g. optimization-related use cases for logistics, or simulation for materials, etc.)
  • Not all stakeholders need to be quantum experts—they just need to know how quantum computing might come into their role and work.
  • Prepare non-tech infrastructure like community and education, both of which are crucial to leading in a nascent space.

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The potential of quantum computing is both difficult to comprehend and, perhaps because of that difficulty, feels opaque or even baffling to some leaders.

A new form of computing, quantum computing harnesses quirks at the subatomic level to perform feats of calculation—with massive potential implications for every key sector in our economy.

Speaking with INNOVATEwest, Lisa Lambert, CEO of Quantum Industry Canada, shared more about how innovators can get ready for quantum computing today (and tomorrow).

The future is quantum

Quantum computing harnesses the principles of quantum mechanics, which is the study of our world at the nanoscopic scale. And at that scale, the world seems to defy intuition—seemingly solid particles move through walls and information appears to “teleport,” according to Quantum Insider.

In an innovation and entrepreneurship context, the ability to simulate quantum systems could have massive implications for material sciences, drug discovery, and other areas where “classical computers” (the kind used to publish this article and surf the web) fall short. This is all part of quantum computing’s estimated $850 billion in economic impact by 2040.

Lisa said Canada already has significant early investments in quantum, with billions in investments already made before the launch of the National Quantum Strategy in 2023, with $360 million in funding. The key will be emphasizing commercialization—something she said the whole country needs to think about.

“The future is quantum—and that future is here,” said Lisa. “Commercialization of innovation is not is not just the work of the developers of the technology; it’s a multi-stakeholder endeavor.”

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Building quantum readiness

Lisa wants to see more businesses become quantum-ready and actively consider how it might impact their industries—here are three things she said are crucial to build readiness.

1. Think about use cases

Lisa said quantum computing has four big use case buckets: optimization (implications for logistics, finance, and more), simulation (implications for drug development, catalyst development, and more), machine learning, and cryptography.

Whether you’re in these spaces directly or might benefit from a layer of that computing power, Lisa said leaders need to think about how quantum might transform their industry. On the flip side, she also cautioned people to think about how malicious actors may use quantum computing for cyber attacks—to begin implementing quantum cyber defenses today.

The good news is you won’t be going down this path alone.

First, the UN proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. Second, the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) released a report on quantum encryption standards that organizations can use to start building internal capacity.

2. Educate and involve stakeholders

Developers need the deepest knowledge, but other stakeholders just need to understand the connection between their work and quantum computing.

For instance, a CISO needs to think about quantum-resistant encryption and security. Meanwhile, a CEO or Chief Innovation Officer needs to think about how quantum computing could disrupt their whole industry (or at the very least, internal disruption to their supply chain or product offering).

And if any stakeholder is having trouble understanding quantum computing, Lisa describes it with the analogy of transportation.

“There’s times where it’s really good to drive around in a car—you don’t need to be taking a flight,” said Lisa. “And there’s times where an airplane opens up a whole new world of possibilities for you. That’s one way to think about quantum computing compared to classical computers.”

3. Build key non-tech infrastructure

Beyond computing power and business applications, Lisa stressed that quantum computing is still a nascent field.

With that in mind, businesses need to think about non-tech infrastructure today, since that will become crucial to building in the future.

1. Talent: The quantum community is relatively small right now. While this will change over time, Lisa said to think about how you can either bring on critical talent now or begin adding quantum education to your ongoing employee professional development.

2. Community: Community—researchers, experts, and new people just trying to get a grasp on the space—will help company leaders better understand both the space and how they can play in it, said Lisa.

This is also something Lisa amplifies with Quantum Industry Canada’s work; for instance, their Quantum, Eh? newsletter shares regular insights and connections.

What kind of Canada do you want?

Like multiple advanced technologies before it, Canada is a global leader in quantum science and technology research. We’re also currently a leader in early commercialization efforts, but other nations are catching up quickly and we cannot rest on our laurels.

Looking ahead, Lisa thinks about Canada’s quantum computing commercialization efforts as a simple question: What kind of country do we want to have?

Lisa’s answer is a country that captures real economic value from its globally-renowned research.

To get there, we need to close the “leaks in the pipeline” from academic discovery to market-ready innovation. That means developing smoother IP retention policies and looking holistically at what it takes to go from invention (the discovery of new things) to innovation (the creation of value from those new things).

“It’s really a critical time for us to think about ‘What role does Canada want to play in this technology as we move forward?’” said Lisa. “We perhaps want to take a different approach than we have with past technologies where we’re not just a leader on the research side, but also with the commercialization endeavors.”

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