By Kelly Cloonan

When it comes to quantum computing, the biggest risk companies face is waiting around for the technology to take off, IQM Quantum Computers Chief Executive Jan Goetz says.

"This is the decision that everyone has to make. Are we engaging now? Are we going to use this first mover advantage, or are we going to wait?" Goetz said Wednesday at the WSJ Leadership Institute CEO Summit in London.

Goetz likens the opportunity in quantum computing to computers or artificial intelligence. In both cases, some companies questioned whether investing in the emerging technologies would be worthwhile. Apple and Nvidia, meanwhile, became front runners in their respective fields because they took the leap to build entire ecosystems around the new technologies, he said.

There are already signs that quantum is shaping up to be a major force, with governments in the U.S., U.K. and France pledging heavy investments. Companies like drugmaker Novo Nordisk, and several big banks, have started getting in on the action too, he said.

For such players, the challenge isn't how to get access to quantum, but how to use it, similar to AI, he said.

"As a decision maker and as a company, the potential here is that you work on applications that will change your business," he said.

Goetz added that companies don't need to invest billions to get started in quantum now.

"You can do it stepwise, just building up teams and creating the knowhow," he said. "This is why our message is that it's not about being too early. You don't lose much if you invest now."

Write to Kelly Cloonan at kelly.cloonan@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 10, 2026 18:09 ET (22:09 GMT)

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