This week in Marine Technology News…
The quantum economy isn’t just a concept for the future; it’s happening now. This new field is brimming with chances for those who are ready to act.
The World Economic Forum recently released a report called “Embracing the Quantum Economy – A Pathway for Business Leaders.” This report, created with help from Accenture, dives into innovations in quantum computing, sensing, and communication. It also provides actionable steps for businesses to get involved.
One of the standout advancements is in quantum sensors. Compared to traditional sensors, these offer greater sensitivity. The report highlights how this technology can significantly change how we monitor land and sea.
This week, Marine Technology News shared an exciting agreement among ADNOC, the Technology Innovation Institute, and ASPIRE. They’re working together to harness quantum sensing technology for monitoring carbon storage. This technology can pick up even minor environmental changes, like shifts in magnetic or electrical properties, improving safety and preventing leaks.
We also talked to Georgios Salavasidis, a senior robotics researcher at NOC in the UK. He believes quantum magnetometers and gravimeters hold great potential.
“These tools could transform underwater vehicles. They have uses in high-resolution mapping and can help detect leaks from carbon capture sites, and find buried pipelines or unexploded devices,” he said.
While quantum gravimeters are still being developed and need to be miniaturized for AUV integration, quantum magnetometers have been successfully used in various applications for years.
They’re also being looked at as navigation aids. By utilizing the Earth’s magnetic field, they can determine location in places where GPS isn’t available. “This idea is promising, but it requires precise magnetic maps and special techniques. Often, we need to tow the sensor to avoid interference from the vehicle’s electronics,” Salavasidis explained.
“Quantum sensing holds particular promise for GPS-denied navigation. This has always been a challenge for underwater vehicles. Most navigational tools we use now can drift, making them unreliable without external support for GPS fixes. Quantum sensing could solve this problem by providing accurate data without drifting,” he added.
Salavasidis suggests that it might be a few years before these technologies are ready for real-world use.
This week also saw the unveiling of the world’s first quantum optical microscope in Canada. Developed by a team from the National Research Council, University of Calgary, and University of Ottawa, this microscope uses entangled photons to create ultra-low intensity illumination. By using the unique features of single photons, this technology reduces photo damage risks while producing high-resolution images quickly.
Innovations like this show the significant commercial potential of quantum sensing. As this technology matures, the market for it is projected to reach $2.2 billion by 2045, according to a report by IDTechEx called “Quantum Sensors Market 2025-2045: Technology, Trends, Players, Forecasts.”
