Quantum Economics – Marine Technology News

This week in Marine Technology News…

The quantum economy is not just a distant dream – it is unfolding now, offering unprecedented opportunities to those who are ready to seize them.

So is the World Economic Forum presented his new report “Embracing the Quantum Economy – A Path for Business Leaders” last week.

Prepared in collaboration with Accenture, the report explores advances in quantum computing, quantum sensing and quantum communication and outlines strategic steps for businesses to take.

Quantum sensors offer dramatically increased sensitivity compared to traditional sensors, and the World Economic Forum report says the technology is potentially disruptive to land and sea monitoring activities.

This week Marine Technology News reported on deal between ADNOC, Institute of Technology Innovation and ASPIRE to develop quantum sensing technology for carbon storage monitoring. It will be able to detect subtle environmental changes, such as shifts in magnetic or electrical properties, to help increase security and prevent leaks.

Also this week, Marine Technology News spoke to Georgios Salavasidis, a senior robotics researcher and head of UK NOC delivery. He sees promising advances in quantum magnetometers and gravimeters.

“Their potential for use in underwater vehicles is tremendous, potentially revolutionizing key applications such as high-resolution subsurface mapping, detecting leaks from carbon capture and storage sites, and locating buried pipelines, cables or unexploded ordnance under the seabed.”

While quantum gravimeters are still in development, requiring significant miniaturization to integrate seamlessly into AUVs, quantum magnetometers have already been used successfully for years in various detection and monitoring applications.

They are now also being researched for their potential as navigational aids using the Earth’s natural magnetic field to determine position in GPS-denied environments. “This concept, while promising, requires accurate maps of magnetic anomalies, advanced estimation and inference techniques, and often requires trailing the sensor behind the vehicle to minimize interference from on-board electronics, power systems, and other magnetic materials,” he says. Salavasidis.

“For us, the potential of quantum sensing in GPS-denied navigation is particularly exciting, as this has always been a fundamental challenge for underwater vehicles, which, by definition, operate without access to GPS. Most of the navigation sensors we currently rely on are prone to drift, meaning that navigation systems require external support or frequent surfaces to receive GPS fixes, especially during science missions that require high navigation accuracy. The promising aspect of quantum sensing lies in its ability to provide high precision without the problem of motion.

It will probably be several years before these technologies become available for practical applications, Salavasidis says.

Meanwhile, the first in the world quantum optical microscopy was revealed in Canada this week. Developed by a team of researchers from the National Research Council, the University of Calgary, the University of Ottawa and beyond, the microscope uses entangled photons to provide ultra-low intensity illumination. By harnessing the power of correlations between single photons, the technology speeds up the process and reduces the risk of photo damage by delivering high-resolution images.

New developments like this demonstrate the great commercial potential of quantum sensing as it moves from experimentation to widespread deployment. This emerging market is expected to reach $2.2 billion by 2045, according to new IDTechEx report “Quantum Sensors Market 2025-2045: Technology, Trends, Players, Forecasts.”