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We still think of quantum computing as of science fiction, but in fact, it is already there. The quantum computing industry was worth $507.1 million in 2019. Experts from the McKinsey consulting company estimate that the quantum computing industry may exceed $65 billion by 2030, and reach an unprecedented $1 trillion by 2035. So, basically, in a few years, quantum computing will become mainstream. But how does business react to this eventuality?

Tech giants like IBM, Google, Honeywell and many others are in for the race to be the first to implement quantum computing on a massive scale. There is no clear leader yet, but recently Honeywell made a bold move: the company announced that its newest quantum computer has reached a quantum volume of 64 - twice as much as computers of IBM and Google.

And while the giants are at each other's throats, smaller companies look for alternative approaches. One of the first minor companies to showcase real-life use cases for the technology is QubitTechthat has demonstrated application of quantum computing in asset management. Thus quantum computing becomes not a theoretical breakthrough, but a financially viable and useful technology for everyone.

QubitTech is a company founded by a group of independent experts in algorithmic and traditional asset management. QubitTech CEO Greg Limon, also co-founder and shareholder of Toronto-based DigiMax Globa,l is known to have conducted two successful IPOs and participated in numerous venture projects with over $2 billion funds raised. His market expertise is second to none, as he has personally raised over $300 million for a series of successful startups that have grown to become global names.

Application of quantum technologies

The QubitTech platform makes use of quantum technologies that were initially fielded by IBM and offered a unique set of tools based on machine learning methods, quantum algorithms, and quantum neural networks.

Continuous improvements and testing have allowed the algorithmic systems used by QubitTech to advance into more sophisticated areas of application and offer their users a host of adjustable settings for achieving better risk to reward ratios in financial operations.

QubitTech has a clearly defined internal structure with dedicated workgroups for separate departments. Apart from having a healthy mix of experts on the team from financial, consulting, investment banking and other areas, QubitTech designs its own software solutions using internal resources.

The technological products offered by QubitTech give users the ability to select from a variety of balanced strategies based on smart diversification achieved by the use of algorithmic and traditional methods that are applied on the Bitfinex and Binance exchange platforms. More traditional approaches are also available for clients considering their strategies conservative.

The constructs have been proven to deliver up to 7% monthly yields. The simultaneous use of several strategies has been proven to deliver more promising results and QubitTech delivers.

Apart from trading bots and quantum computing constructs, QubitTech offers a host of other products as well, underscoring the platform's title as a full-fledged ecosystem of interconnected applications. Among the products is the P2P platform CryptoLocal are:

Other services that QubitTech plans to release in 2021 include a marketplace, a dedicated gaming platform, a venture fund, and an accelerator powered by the efforts of the project community.

The company has been making headway in its global expansion and is already represented in 13 countries with 150,000 active users.

The merger of quantum computing and the cryptocurrency industry may be a novel practice, but time has proven that advanced technologies often benefit each other. And while the two industries seem to be developed separately, some companies like QubitTech are taking leaps of faith and technological development, showing audiences what combined efforts can deliver.

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QubitTech shapes the future of quantum computing - IBTimes India

As we enter a new year, were taking time to look back at some of the biggest local science stories that came out of the University of Arizona in 2020. Because theres already so much news about COVID-19, were excluding any pandemic science stories, and instead focusing on research developments coming out of the university.

OSIRIS-REx successfully retrieves asteroid sample. More than four years after launching from Earth, the University of Arizona-led OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captured a sample of an asteroids surface on Oct. 20, 2020. The NASA spacecraft actually arrived at its destination, the asteroid Bennu more than 200 million miles away, in December 2018, but spent nearly two years orbiting and mapping its surface. The OSIRIS-REx team announced several crucial steps leading up to the sample collection. Close-up imaging showed that the asteroids surface was far rockier than originally expected. Scans revealed Bennu is packed with more than 200 boulders larger than 33 feet (10 m) in diameter and many more that are 3 feet (1 m) or larger. This meant the spacecraft only had an area the size of a few parking spots from which to collect the samples. The sample process took more than four hours, with the spacecraft slowly descending 2,500 feet from orbit toward the asteroid. While the spacecraft came in contact with the asteroid, it didnt land. Instead, it extended a robotic arm and fired a jet of pressurized nitrogen to kick up dust and rocks from the asteroids surface. Some of the agitated material was captured in OSIRIS-RExs collector head, and the spacecraft then used thrusters to move away from the asteroid. Scientists believe the spacecraft touched the surface only three feet from where they originally planned. OSIRIS-REx is expected to return the captured dust and rocks to Earth in 2023. With this carbon-rich material, scientists hope to better understand the formation of our early solar system, and even the origins of life on our planet.

Quantum Computing. Three researchers from the University of Arizonas College of Engineering are part of the newly established Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center, led by the U.S. Department of Energy. The $115 million center aims to build a quantum computer and develop quantum sensors that could lead to discoveries about dark matter and other elusive subatomic particles. The involved local researchers are professor of electrical and computer engineering Bane Vasic, assistant professor of materials science and engineering Zheshen Zhang and assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering Quntao Zhuang. Whereas standard computers operate on a binary system of 0s and 1s, quantum computers operate with qubits which can exist as 0 and 1 simultaneously, making them exponentially more powerful. However, this superposition makes quantum computers far less stable. One of the primary goals of the new Center and the local researchers is to increase quantum computers stability. According to Vasic, designing good quantum error correction codes and decoders is arguably the most important theoretical challenge facing practical realizations of quantum-enabled information processing systems. Zhang argues that quantum computing is going to completely transform our current technology and become a driver for the economy. The researchers expect the Center to play a major role in changing the next generation of our workforce.

Personalized Cancer Vaccines. After promising preliminary tests, a study led by UA researcher Dr. Julie Bauman will be expanded to further investigate the safety and effectiveness of a personalized cancer vaccine. Baumans study uses a patients own cancer cells to develop a vaccine intended to teach their immune system how to recognize and destroy cancer cells. This personalized vaccine was used in combination with the immunotherapy drug Pembrolizumab. The preliminary test used both of these treatments on 10 patients with head and neck cancer, seven of whom were treated at Banner University Medicine. According to the study, half of the patients experienced a clinical response to the personalized cancer vaccine, and two patients had no detectable disease present after the treatment. This 50% clinical response is much higher than the approximately 15% response rate in patients who receive Pembrolizumab immunotherapy alone. Moving forward, the study will expand to 40 patients with head and neck cancer. According to UA, to identify the patient-specific mutations of the cancer, mutated DNA from the patients tumor is simultaneously sequenced with healthy DNA from the patients blood. Computers then compare the two DNA samples to identify the unique cancer mutations.

Safer Opioids. Researchers at the UAs College of Medicine have found a way to enhance the effectiveness and presumably decrease the side effects of opioid therapy. While opioids are one of the most effective and common treatments for chronic pain, their dangerous side effects and addictive qualities have caused an epidemic in the US resulting in nearly 50,000 deaths annually. But a potential solution to this high-risk usage was recently found by local researchers, who found that inhibiting the heat shock protein 90 in the spinal cord can improve opioid use. According to researcher John Streicher of the UAs Department of Pharmacology, it seems like heat shock protein 90 is inhibiting one of those pathways in the spinal cord and preventing it from being activated. When we give this inhibitor in the spinal cord, it unblocks that pathway, which provides another route to greater pain relief. The findings suggest that inhibiting heat shock protein 90 could give doctors the opportunity to implement a dose-reduction strategy for patients. Less opioid drugs could be prescribed, but patients would get the same levels of pain relief while experiencing reduced side effects.

Technology in the Brain. Researchers at UA, George Washington University and Northwestern University have created an ultra-small, wireless, battery-free device that uses light to record individual neurons so neuroscientists can see how the brain is working. The goal is to better understand the brain, specifically how individual neurons interact with each other. The process first involves tinting select neurons with a dye that changes in brightness depending on activity. Then, the device shines a light on the dye, making the neurons biochemical processes visible. The device captures the changes using a probe only slightly wider than a human hair, then processes a direct readout of the neurons activity and transmits the information wirelessly to researchers. The devices in use are smaller than an M&M and only one-20th of the weight. They can afford to be so small and flexible because they do not need a battery, instead harvesting energy from external oscillating magnetic fields gathered by a miniature antenna on the device. Ultimately, the technology is planned to help the fight against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons, and perhaps even help us better understand the brains biological mechanisms, such as pain and depression.

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The Biggest Science Stories of 2020 | Technically Speaking - Inside Tucson Business

What better time than now to unveil what to look out for in the world of AI and technology in 2021.

By Prithwis De

The year 2020 will be marked as an unprecedented year in history due to the adverse impact of coronavirus worldwide. This pandemic has started bringing extraordinary changes in some key areas. The trends of faster drug development, effective remote care, efficient supply chain, etc, will continue into 2021. Drone technology is already playing a vital role in delivering food and other essentials alongside relief activities.

With Covid-19 came a new concept of the Internet of Behaviour within organisations to track human behaviour in the work environment and trace any slack in maintaining guidelines. Now on, organisations are set to capture and combine behaviour-related data from different sources and use it. We can assertively say it will affect the way organisations interact with people, going forward. Students are experiencing distance learning, taking examinations under remotely-monitored and proctored surveillance systems through identity verification and authentication in real time.

All these will have a high impact on technology, which will shape our outlook in the future. Businesses around the globe are taking the giant leap to become tech-savvy with quantum computing, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, etc. AI and cloud computing are alluring us all towards an environment of efficiency, security, optimisation and confidence. What better time than now to unveil what to look out for in the world of AI and technology in 2021.

What 2020 has paved the way for is quantum computing. Now, be prepared to adapt to a hybrid computing approach (conventional cum quantum computing) to problem-solving. This paradigm shift in computing will result in the emergence of implausible ways to solve existing business problems and ideate new opportunities. Its effects will be visible on our ability to perform better in diverse areasfinancial forecasting, weather predictions, drug and vaccine development, blood-protein analysis, supply chain planning and optimisation, etc. Quantum Computing as a Service (QCaaS) will be a natural choice for organisations to plug into the experiments as we advance. Forward-thinking businesses are excited to take the quantum leap, but the transition is still in a nascent stage. This new year will be a crucial stepping stone towards the future of things to change in the following years.

Cloud providers such as Amazon (AWS), Microsoft (Azure) and Google will continue to hog the limelight as the AI tool providers for most companies leaning towards real-time experiments in their business processes in the months to follow. Efficiency, security and customisation are the advantages for which serverless and hybrid cloud computing are gaining firm ground with big enterprises. It will continue to do so in 2021.

Going forward, the aim is to make the black box of AI transparent with explainable AI. The lack of clarity hampers our ability to trust AI yet. Automated machine learning (AutoML), another crucial area, is likely to be very popular in the near future. One more trend that caught on like wildfire in 2020 is Machine Learning Operations (MLOps). It provides organisations visibility of their models and has become an efficient tool to steer clear of duplicated efforts in AI. Most of the companies have been graduating from AI experimentations and pilot projects to implementation. This endeavour is bound to grow further and enable AI experts to have more control over their work from end-to-end now onwards.

Cybersecurity will gain prime importance in 2021 and beyond as there is no doubt that hacking and cybercrime prevention are priorities for all businesses with sensitive data becoming easily accessible with advanced phishing tools. Advanced prediction algorithms, along with AI, will play a decisive role in the future to prevent such breaches in data security.

AI and the Internet of Things along with edge computing, which is data processing nearer the source closer to the device at the edge of the network, will usher in a new era for actionable insights from the vast amount of data. The in-memory-accelerated-real-time AI will be needed, particularly when 5G has started creating new opportunities for disruption.

In 2020, there was a dip in overall funding as the pandemic had badly impacted the investment sector due to a reduction in activity. Some of the technology start-ups are still unable to cope up with the challenges created due to Covid-19 and the consequent worsening economic conditions. According to NASSCOM, around 40% of Indian start-ups were forced to stop their operations. In 2021, mergers and acquisitions of start-ups are expected. The larger companies are likely to target smaller companies, specialised mainly in niche and innovative areas such as drug development, cybersecurity, AI chips, cloud computing, MLOps, etc.

The businesses in 2021 and beyond will develop into efficient workplaces for everybody who believes in the power of technology. It is important to bear in mind that all trends are not necessarily independent of each other, but rather form the support base of the other as well as work in tandem with human intervention. So, are the hybrid trends and solutions here to stay for the next few years for the smooth running of various organisations? Only time will tell. But the need for AI and newer technology adoption and modernisation increases manifold.

The author is an analytics and AI professional, based in London, working in a big IT company. Views are personal

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Tech trends in 2021: How artificial intelligence and technology will reshape businesses - The Financial Express

Analysts and pundits didnt foresee COVID-19 coming in 2020 and that the virus would accelerate the digitalisation trend a seismic or tectonic shift in its own right resulting from the fragmentation of physical processes and the emphases on a low-touch economy as part of compliance to the standard operating procedures (SOP) to break and contain the transmission of the virus.

Not all digitalisation trends are precipitated (in the sense of having their momentum accelerated) by the unprecedented spread of COVID-19 though, as some would have been in the works for years and the breakthroughs only came this year. Likewise, digitalisation trends for 2021 would also reflect similar developments. That is, COVID-19 would have been the impetus and catalyst in contradistinction from cause for the rise of some digitalisation trends whilst others would have already been pursued beforehand.

Lets take a look at some of the digital lessons from 2020 as well as look ahead to 2021.

Cloud Kitchens

COVID-19 has encouraged and enhanced the use of cloud services for physical operations such as in cloud kitchens. What this means is that cooking and delivery services could be centralised rather than having disparate collection points such as various restaurants. The underlying purpose is that dining-in (front-of-house) areas are removed from the overall business process thus saving on costs labour/manpower, operational, overheads, dining assets, etc.

In Malaysia in particular and the region in general, online food delivery businesses such as GrabFood (through Grab e-Kitchen) and FoodPanda have been leveraging on the cloud kitchen concept due to high demand and cost effectiveness. The cloud kitchen trend which came to the fore in 2020 is expected to grow and expand in the Klang Valley in tandem with the overall growth and explosion of e-commerce in the country.

Theres also the trend of hyperconverged infrastructure/technology (HCI) whereby businesses and enterprises can save costs and physical space too. Data management and cloud specialist Nutanix defines HCI as the combination of common datacentre hardware using locally attached storage resources with intelligent software to create flexible building blocks that replace legacy infrastructure consisting of separate servers, storage networks, and storage arrays.

International Data Corporation (IDC), a leading information and communications technology (ICT) market intelligence firm, has predicted that the HCI market will grow to US$7.64 billion in 2021. In Malaysia, local logistics and express carrier giant Gdex has adopted Nutanix Hybrid Cloud to keep up with demands in e-commerce for scalability and business-to-consumer (B2C) operations.

Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality

And then, we have augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR) which is making its presence felt in Malaysias tourism sector. Again, COVID-19 has resulted in partial lockdowns or movement control order (MCO) in Malaysias case, which has massively impacted its tourism sector which is the countrys third major export and foreign exchange earner.

AR/VR is a digital gateway and portal to the on-site tourism experience. Used for marketing and promotional purposes, it allows potential on-site tourists to enjoy an audio-visual sampling of the full package on offer the real world, tactual experience. All one needs to access the virtual experience is a smartphone, laptop, tablet or personal computer (PC).

Moving forward, the Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) which is basically the combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) is making rapid headway. According to futurist Bernard Marr, IoT devices such as sensors, universal remote controllers, and biometric scanners can be likened to a digital nervous system with AI serving as the brain.

When AI is added to the IoT it means that those devices can analyse data and make decisions and act on that data without involvement by humans, explains Marr.

With the advent of 5G technology and smart cities, AIoT is expected to emerge in the near future as part of the new norm in our homes.

Protein Folding

While not exactly a digitalisation trend, the online journal Nature on 30 November reported that after years of pain-staking efforts, an AI called AlphaFold developed by Google offshoot DeepMind has achieved a gargantuan leap in computational biology, namely by determining a proteins 3D shape from its amino-acid sequence or what is popularly known as protein folding where structure is function (an axiom of molecular biology).

As proteins are the building-blocks of life, unravelling their molecular structure would yield insights into the mysteries of life so that finding treatments and cures for intractable diseases such as Parkinsons, producing viral drugs for COVID-19 or identifying suitable enzymes that biodegrade industrial waste, would be possible.

According to the DeepMind website, AlphaFold was taught (via deep learning) by reproducing the sequences and structures of around 100,000 known proteins. Come 2021, we could expect to herald the beginning of a new chapter related to many scientific and industrial applications which hopefully extends to agriculture and food production, air pollution control (carbon capture and storage) and water treatment, among others.

Connected to the AI breakthrough in predicting protein folding is, of course, quantum computingthat represents the leap from bits (binary 0 or 1) to qubits (0 & 1 at the same time) based on quantum physics and mechanics (of the simultaneity-duality of supposition and entanglement). For now, quantum computing can be deployed for complex tasks such as predicting the 3D shape of protein folding and structure.

Blockchain

As for blockchain or distributed ledger technology (DLT), it is fast making a mark in supply chain management (SCM) with the strategic collaboration between public and private sectors. In Malaysia, the use of blockchain by the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (RMCD) will ease and facilitate import-export transactions of private sector stakeholders (shipping/logistics and traders).

Specifically, the TradeLens platform jointly developed by AP Moller-Maersk and IBM is based on the Collaboration Application Programming Interface (API) concept which ensures that all logistics activities such as haulage, warehousing, shipping and freight forwarding at both, domestic and international levels, can now be wholly integrated.

Notwithstanding, will quantum supremacy which Google had claimed to achieve finally constrain the full potential of blockchain technology? According to Deloitte, someone with an operational quantum computer who has access to the public key (public address) could then falsify the transaction signature known as hashing which is an encryption mechanism (in the form of a cryptographic function) serving as proof of work that is linkable to another block of transaction data (hence forming a blockchain) and therefore hack to gain entry to the private key (i.e., for the purpose of decryption of the signature). Be that as it may, quantum computing could also easily be deployed in blockchain technology to fend off would-be hackers or rogue miners.

Autonomous Driving

And not least, robotic process automation (RPA) is increasingly being used in fintech (financial technology). In its Fintech and Digital Banking 2025 Asia Pacific report, IDC stated that financial liberalisation, drive towards cost-reduction, intense competition from counterparts as well as P2P (peer-to-peer) players, wafer-thin net interest margins, etc. are catalysing banks to further automate, e.g., through RPA software that enables computers to process manual workloads of business processes more efficiently and effectively (such as triggering error-free responses).

Finally, autonomous driving will soon be an in-thing in Malaysia as it is in other parts of the world, not least across the Causeway (in Singapore). Software by eMooVit Technology, a local start-up specialising in driverless agnostic vehicle software for urban environment routes can be used in different applications such as first/last-mile transportation, logistics and utility solutions.

On 23 December last year, eMoovit was reported to be the first company to use Malaysias first self-driving vehicle testing route as announced by Futurise, a wholly-owned subsidiary of technology hub enabler, Cyberview. As reported in the local media, the seven-kilometre Cyberjaya Malaysia Autonomous Vehicle (MyAV) Testing Route was jointly developed by Futurise and the Ministry of Transport (MoT) under the National Regulatory Sandbox (NRS) initiative for the development of autonomous or self-driving vehicles.

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Malaysia: Leveraging On Digitalisation Trends - The ASEAN Post