Quantum Progress Depends on Openness—Here’s Why

Open source is a term that gets used a lot in technology, but its true significance is sometimes lost amid the hype. In the early days, open source projects were often described as a kind of digital gift economy—software created for the benefit of all, maintained by dedicated volunteers who valued transparency and collaboration over commercial gain. Today, in 2025, open source has become much more than that. It’s the engine that drives much of our digital world, and as quantum computing takes center stage this year, it’s worth examining how open source is likely to shape what comes next.

In the 1990s, I saw firsthand how open source tools changed the landscape for developers. Early projects like MJPEG and VirtualDub made it possible to experiment with video on modest hardware, without the costs or restrictions that came with proprietary codecs. This democratization of technology accelerated innovation in ways that are easy to overlook now, when free and open tools are the default. The lesson from that era was clear: open ecosystems outperform closed ones, especially when the problems are complex and the stakes are high.

Quantum computing, in many ways, presents challenges on an entirely new scale. The hardware is expensive and specialized, the algorithms unfamiliar to most engineers, and the community itself is still small by the standards of mainstream technology. But perhaps the biggest bottleneck today is simply access to the hardware itself. For most researchers, students, and startups, the doors to real quantum processors remain closed—sometimes literally. The result is a technology that remains out of reach for all but a handful of well-funded labs and major corporations.

Open sourcing hardware could fundamentally change this dynamic. By making hardware designs, control electronics, and even manufacturing processes available to all, the barriers to entry drop dramatically. This isn’t just about more people being able to experiment; it’s about making the process of innovation itself more transparent. When the community can see exactly how a system works—down to the circuit diagrams and firmware—new ideas and improvements are much more likely to emerge. Problems are found sooner. Trust is built faster. The pace of progress increases.

Projects like Open Quantum Design reflect this shift. As a non-profit organization working to create a full-stack, open-source trapped-ion quantum computer, their approach is pragmatic: publish hardware designs, control systems, and software stacks for anyone to use, modify, or build upon. The implications go well beyond research papers. If a university in South America or a startup in Africa wants to build or adapt their own quantum hardware, they now have a place to start—a blueprint that is both accessible and transparently accessible.

Other groups, like PennyLane, Qiskit, and the Unitary Foundation, are expanding the ecosystem of open tools and libraries, lowering barriers to entry for both students and startups. This isn’t about altruism. It’s a way to accelerate progress, ensure interoperability, and attract talent from across the globe.

The benefits go beyond productivity. Security is an area where open source offers unique advantages. Code that is open can be reviewed and improved by many, making it harder for critical flaws or backdoors to go unnoticed. In quantum research—where even small errors can cascade into larger failures—transparency isn’t just a virtue, it’s a necessity. The same logic applies to hardware: being able to audit and verify how a device is built is essential for both scientific rigor and long-term trust.

The importance of open source isn’t lost on the world’s largest technology companies. Just this week, Microsoft, alongside other industry leaders, expanded its open-source efforts—most notably by updating its SymCrypt-OpenSSL project to help prepare widely used cryptographic libraries for the post-quantum era. Across the tech sector, from operating systems and developer tools to AI and cryptography, open source is increasingly the strategy for future-proofing critical infrastructure. This broad commitment underscores a growing recognition: meeting the challenges of quantum computing and security will require shared tools and open collaboration across the entire industry.

There’s also a workforce dimension to consider. Open source gives more people the opportunity to develop quantum skills, experiment with real-world systems, and collaborate with others. In practical terms, this broadens the pipeline of talent at a time when quantum expertise is in short supply. Educational resources and documentation, often developed alongside the software itself, make it easier for newcomers to get up to speed. Over time, this creates a more resilient and adaptive workforce, capable of responding to new challenges as the technology evolves.

One area where we’re seeing new possibilities emerge is in the use of AI agents. Open source quantum projects are starting to integrate AI tools that can review code, suggest optimizations, and even help coordinate global collaboration. This combination—open code and intelligent automation—has the potential to compress the cycle of discovery, helping teams identify problems and share solutions faster than ever before.

Some critics worry that open sourcing quantum tools could amount to giving away competitive advantages. But the evidence from decades of technology development suggests otherwise. Open ecosystems tend to move faster, attract more investment, and foster deeper trust among participants. Proprietary solutions may offer control in the short term, but they rarely drive lasting impact when the problems are as complex—and as global—as quantum computing.

As we mark the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, these issues are front and center. This is a year for policymakers, researchers, and entrepreneurs to ask not just how fast quantum can progress, but how broadly its benefits can be shared. The next breakthroughs in quantum computing are as likely to come from an open repository as from a corporate research lab. Our best shot at realizing the promise of this technology will come from working together, out in the open—and, just as importantly, by ensuring that the hardware itself is as open as the code running on it.

If the history of open source has taught us anything, it’s that solutions to the world’s hardest problems are rarely found by going it alone. Quantum computing will be no different. In 2025, the opportunity—and the responsibility—to build in the open is clearer than ever.