Time for Chemistry Companies to Pay Attention to Quantum Computing

(ChemistryWorld) it’s time for chemists to start paying attention to quantum computing. Up to now, quantum computing has been dominated by physicists, engineers and computer scientists who have designed and constructed the hardware and architecture. But it is chemists who have the knowledge and expertise needed to describe and define the quantum nature of the chemical problems that these machines are so adept at solving. Quantum computer software needs to be partially written in the language of chemistry.
Chemistry companies have the resources and can afford to invest in this early stage. The potential rewards – in terms of competitive advantage – mean they can’t afford to sit on the sidelines. IBM and other quantum computing companies have opened their rudimentary quantum computers to commercial partners.
Problems like catalyst design, complex reaction simulations, oilfield recovery modelling and the like are severely limited by conventional computing power.