In its recent report,"Quantum Is Getting Real. CEOs Need to Shape Where It Creates Value," BCG argues that the quantum conversation has entered a new phase. The question is no longer whether quantum technologies will eventually generate economic impact, but how organizations can actively shape where and how that value emerges. BCG highlights accelerating enterprise investment, growing software and algorithm development efforts, and the possibility of a commercial inflection point before 2030.
We agree with that vision.
But we also believe there is a critical dimension missing from many discussions about quantum readiness: trust.
The industry is understandably focused on quantum processors, logical qubits, error correction, and hardware roadmaps. These breakthroughs are essential. Yet history shows that computing power alone has never created a technological revolution.
The internet required trusted protocols.
Cloud computing required secure infrastructure.
Artificial Intelligence depends on trusted data, resilient cybersecurity, and authenticated systems.
The quantum economy will be no different.
The organizations that capture the greatest value from quantum computing will not simply be those with access to the most powerful quantum processors. They will be those that build the trusted foundations that allow quantum technologies to operate securely, reliably, and at global scale.
At SEALSQ, we believe the future quantum ecosystem must be built from the Root of Trust to the Qubit, combining secure semiconductors, hardware-based identities, Post-Quantum Cryptography, quantum networking, and ultimately quantum computing itself. This vision aligns with our broader Quantum Vertical Stack strategy, where security is not added later but embedded into every layer of the architecture.
The Missing Layer in Most Quantum Strategies
BCG correctly points out that enterprises must become active participants in shaping high-value quantum use cases rather than waiting for technology providers to determine the future. [
However, before organizations can unlock quantum-driven optimization, simulation, or AI acceleration, they must address a more fundamental challenge:
How will trust be established in a quantum-powered world?
Every future quantum ecosystem will rely on security infrastructure that exists long before fault-tolerant quantum computers become commonplace.
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Quantum processors will require authenticated hardware identities.
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Quantum networks will depend on trusted communication mechanisms.
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Connected devices and AI agents interacting with quantum services will require immutable roots of trust.
And data encrypted today must remain protected against tomorrow's quantum threats, making Post-Quantum Cryptography not a future upgrade but an immediate strategic priority.
In other words:
Every quantum strategy must begin with a trust strategy
Introducing the Quantum Value Stack
Rather than thinking about quantum computing as a single breakthrough technology, organizations should view it as a complete value stack in which each layer depends on the security and integrity of the layers beneath it.
| Layer | Primary Purpose | Examples | Business Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quantum Computing | Processing power | Simulation, optimization, AI acceleration | Competitive differentiation and innovation |
| Quantum Networking | Secure connectivity | Distributed quantum computing, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), hybrid infrastructures | Trusted collaboration across quantum ecosystems |
| Post-Quantum Cryptography | Long-term cyber resilience | Quantum-safe communications, cryptographic agility | Protection of critical data and digital assets |
| Hardware Root of Trust | Device identity and integrity | Secure semiconductors, secure elements, hardware authentication | Trusted digital infrastructure |
This Quantum Value Stack illustrates an important reality: Every upper layer depends on the integrity of the one below it.
Without trusted hardware identities, quantum networks cannot establish trust. Without quantum-safe cryptography, sensitive data remains exposed. Without secure semiconductors, digital identities can be compromised before any cryptographic protection is applied.
Trust is therefore not an additional security feature. It is the foundation upon which the entire quantum economy will operate.
Building Value from the Root to the Qubit
This is why the future of quantum should not be viewed as a race toward larger quantum processors alone.
It should be viewed as the convergence of several technology domains:
- Secure semiconductors
- Hardware Roots of Trust
- Post-Quantum Cryptography
- Trusted device identities
- Quantum computing
- Quantum networking
Together, these technologies create what could be described as a Root-to-Qubit architecture, where trust is embedded throughout the entire technology stack, from the silicon establishing device identity to the quantum systems performing advanced computation.
Organizations that invest only in quantum applications risk building on uncertain foundations.
Organizations that invest in trusted infrastructure today will be positioned to deploy tomorrow's quantum innovations securely and at scale.
Three Strategic Priorities for Business Leaders
As quantum technologies move closer to commercial deployment, CEOs should focus on three priorities.
1. Prepare for quantum-safe cybersecurity today.
Migrating toward Post-Quantum Cryptography is a multi-year transformation. Waiting for cryptographically relevant quantum computers will be too late.
2. Establish hardware-based trust.
Secure semiconductors, Hardware Roots of Trust and trusted identities must become foundational components of every connected infrastructure.
3. Build the right ecosystem.
The quantum economy will be built through collaboration between semiconductor companies, cybersecurity providers, cloud platforms, quantum hardware developers and research institutions. No organization will succeed alone.
Trust Will Determine Where Quantum Creates Value
BCG's central message is that business leaders should not passively wait for quantum innovation to arrive, they should actively shape where value is created.
At SEALSQ, we share that belief.
But shaping quantum value requires more than identifying future use cases. It requires building the infrastructure that makes those use cases possible.
The future quantum economy will be built on a chain of trust extending from secure semiconductors and hardware roots of trust to post-quantum cryptography, quantum networking, and ultimately quantum computing itself. This "Root-to-Qubit" approach is what will enable quantum technologies to move from laboratory promise to industrial reality.
The winners of the quantum era may not be the organizations that build the first commercially successful quantum computer.
They will be the organizations that establish the trusted infrastructure that allows quantum technologies to be deployed safely, adopted globally, and integrated into critical industries.
Because in the quantum era, trust is not a security feature. It is the infrastructure that makes value possible.