Quantum computers were once considered the stuff of science fiction. Today, they have a real impact on medicine research, the development of artificial intelligence, and data security. They are not waiting for the future to come along – they are writing it.
And in this story, women are playing a leading role.
A hundred years of quantum physics
In 1925, Dirac, Heisenberg, and Schroedinger laid the foundations of quantum theory. They performed calculations for systems so small that they couldn’t be observed directly. They created the most precise theory in the history of physics – its predictions are still valid today, accurate to 12 significant digits.
Distinction: A hundred years have passed since those discoveries. How have they affected our lives? Who will lead the second quantum revolution?
The second quantum revolution: groundbreaking technologies
A hundred years have passed since the days of Schroedinger, Dirac, and Heisenberg. Today, their theory not only explains reality – it helps create it.
Probability theory and quantum entanglement are now used in quantum computers – devices that replace classical bits (0 and 1) with qubits – quantum objects that can be in states 0 and 1 simultaneously, with a certain probability. This allows them to perform some calculations incomparably faster. Not all of them, but the most complex ones: those related to cryptography, big data analysis, molecular modeling, and drug design.
The world is changing before our eyes
Quantum computers are already in laboratories in Zurich, Helsinki, New York and... in Poznań. Google has announced that it has achieved quantum supremacy, IBM is making the first quantum computers available online, and China is building national centers for quantum technology development. Volkswagen and D-Wave are optimizing traffic in Beijing. NASA is using quantum computers to simulate interplanetary flight trajectories. Startups are creating quantum machine learning algorithms.
The quantum revolution has come to Warsaw!
On June 4, 2025, the Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit will launch Quantum Path, a full-day program that allows you to experience the quantum future now. For the first time in Central and Eastern Europe, IBM Quantum System Two, the world's first modular quantum computer at utility scale, will be presented live.
This is not a prototype – it is a step into the future. IBM Quantum System Two is ready to solve problems that classical computers cannot handle: in chemistry, finance, climate modeling. It works thanks to cryogenic infrastructure that cools the processor to temperatures close to absolute zero – the coldest place in the known universe.
The Quantum Path is much more than technology. Participants will hear presentations on the applications of quantum computers, cryptography, science, education, and the future of the industry. During the Quantum Networking Meeting, every participant can talk directly to scientists from IBM, CERN, the University of Gdańsk, PCSS, Creotech Instruments, and the Ministry of Digital Affairs. The exhibition hall will feature stands of companies and startups showcasing real working quantum systems. Everyone will also have the opportunity to try their hand at quantum programming.
The program will conclude with a panel discussion entitled “Applications of Quantum Technologies – Bridging Science, Policy and Business,” featuring four prominent experts from CERN, IBM, XPRIZE, and Perspektywy, who will discuss the most important issue: how to translate theory into real-world applications.
The quantum revolution needs women
The quantum revolution is no longer just for physicists. It needs programmers, mathematicians, designers, and popularizers. Despite this, women are still a minority in the industry – in some research teams, they make up less than 15%.
This year, a meeting of 10,000 women from the industry will be held in Poland – at the Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit 2025. On June 4 and 5, female programmers, scientists, and technologists from five continents, from Chile to the United States to India, will come to Warsaw. They will discuss the future of the quantum sector and the most promising applications of this technology.
Change is already underway. But it must be supported systematically – by schools, companies, governments, and foundations. We cannot afford to lose the potential of half of society.
Europe and Poland: a quantum opportunity we cannot miss
Europe has everything it needs to become a “Quantum Valley” – scientists, universities, start-ups, support programs (e.g., Quantum Flagship). But it needs courage and strategy. Poland also has its share: the Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center, world-renowned research groups at the University of Warsaw, startups (Sequre Quantum, Sonovero R&D) and supporting initiatives (Quantum AI Foundation, Girls in Quantum).
As stated by Dr. Anna Kamińska (QuantERA, Creotech Instruments S.A.): "The Polish quantum ecosystem has enormous development potential. Above all, we need competent, trained staff. We must provide the best possible conditions for the most talented Polish students so that they want to stay in the country and work for Polish companies.”
If we want to influence the future of technology, we must invest in education, diversity, and international cooperation – today. We must show young people, regardless of gender or background, that they can be part of this story.
Distinction: We are writing the future now.
Quantum computers are already being built. Just as quantum physics laid the foundations for modern technology a century ago, today, quantum technologies are setting the course for a future that will change the world as we know it. Europe can become the Quantum Valley. But only if it invests in bold people, diversity, and vision. Otherwise, it will miss out on the future.
Join the quantum technological revolution – see you in Warsaw!
Alessandra Jabłonowska
