While those of us working in the quantum industry for years should invite and warmly welcome newcomers to the field, quantum companies should also be wary of those claiming special knowledge or expertise in quantum without sufficient proof.

We’ve personally seen and heard of management consultants, public relations and marketing firms, industry analysts and more approaching quantum companies with tales of quantum experience that don’t stand up to closer inspection.

As the PR agency for the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ), working closely with the American Physics Society (APS), we have come across scores of scheduled “IYQ” events of all stripes, all over the world. Most are conferences or forums, but a few are a little different, such as the poetry competition. Most are highly technical, but some are not, aimed at attracting young people, even children, into this emerging field.

So, the question we pondered was, what were we, at HKA, going to do for our part in honor of IYQ?

While the topics driving the loudest quantum industry conversations are about advantage, stock price and qubit count, the people doing the work are much more interested in discovery, determination and collaboration. At the 2025 APS Global Physics Summit, I interviewed 10 leaders working on everything from electronics control systems to national labs research to games designed to teach the history of physics. We’ll publish these conversations in the next season of our podcast, The Quantum Spin by HKA.   

Last week, I had the opportunity to represent HKA at the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ) Opening Ceremony at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. With its international reputation for artistic, scientific and diplomatic achievements, Paris was a fitting location for the event.

A distinguished lineup of high-level government officials, Nobel Laureates, academic leaders and top quantum company executives from across the globe assembled on February 4 and 5, totaling roughly 1,000 in-person and 2,500 virtual attendees.

When I attended the Q2B conference in Santa Clara, Calif. last month, I spoke to and heard from many different quantum technology experts.

My takeaway — the quantum industry is in a superposition of opinion regarding its future.

What do I mean by that?  Opinions varied so widely on what’s next for quantum computing and how soon we will see quantum advantage, that there was no consensus – not one bit of agreement between any two individuals.

When you add the adjective “quantum” in front of computing, suddenly the world of computers, so ubiquitous today, turns into a confusing, science fiction world to most people. In fact, the word “quantum” itself can send people down a rabbit hole of confusing terms like qubit, entanglement, and fidelity and echoes of other dimensions.