Quantum: where do we really stand? EDHEC's two-voice assessment
Lionel Martellini and Camille Georges (EDHEC Quantum Institute) on a transition phase, the sectors that will gain most, and how to teach quantum to non-physicists.
In an EDHEC Vox interview published on 14 September 2026, Lionel Martellini and Camille Georges, who lead the EDHEC Quantum Institute, describe a transition phase: no universal quantum computer yet, but concrete use cases emerging, and a case for teaching quantum well beyond physics departments.
Why it matters
A business school looking at quantum from the user's side, rather than the lab's, is rare. The interview ranks sectors by what quantum could actually change, and argues that finance may gain less than health or materials.
Key takeaways
- Both interviewees describe a transition phase: real progress, but announcements to read critically. What counts is use cases with established companies, such as Moderna working with IBM on messenger RNA structures.
- Sector ranking according to Martellini: finance is cited first but gains may stay incremental; drug design and materials are where quantum simulation could change the game. Georges adds quantum sensing (SandboxAQ, Q-CTRL) and post-quantum security (AXA, QuSecure).
- Martellini cites PROQCIMA, in France's national strategy, now aiming for 1,024 logical qubits by 2032, which he calls ambitious but credible.
- On education, the technical side of quantum (matrices, complex numbers) is within reach of non-specialists; the difficulty is conceptual. Georges links this open approach to bringing more women into the field.
- The EDHEC Quantum Institute was launched in early 2026 by Martellini; Camille Georges, a physicist and manager with a quantum start-up and World Economic Forum background, has just been appointed deputy director.
In an interview published by EDHEC Vox on 14 September 2026, Lionel Martellini, founder and director of the EDHEC Quantum Institute, and Camille Georges, its newly appointed deputy director, take stock of where quantum technologies stand. The institute was launched in early 2026; Georges, trained in physics (ESPCI Paris - PSL) and management, worked in quantum start-ups from 2023 and then at the World Economic Forum.
Their diagnosis is a transition phase. Martellini says the universal quantum computer is not here yet, but that areas of application are becoming clear, and points to PROQCIMA, a key programme of the French strategy, now targeting 1,024 logical qubits by 2032. Georges insists on reading announcements with a critical eye, citing the debate around Microsoft's claims in 2025 and recent error-correction results from IQM: such news sustains momentum and attracts capital, but also raises expectations. What matters most, she says, is concrete work with established companies, such as Moderna and IBM on simulating messenger RNA structures.
On sectors, Martellini's view is blunt for a business school: finance comes up first because portfolio optimisation and derivatives pricing are heavy computations, but gains there will likely remain incremental. Where quantum computing could really change things is drug design, a fundamentally quantum problem, and materials, from metallurgy to semiconductors and batteries. Georges adds two often underestimated areas: quantum sensing, with SandboxAQ and Q-CTRL working on cardiac diagnostics and navigation where GPS is unavailable, and post-quantum security, with AXA using quantum computing for reinsurance optimisation and QuSecure on post-quantum cryptography.
The second half is about education. Martellini argues quantum theory can be taught to non-specialists: the technical tools are matrix calculus and complex numbers, the real challenge is conceptual. His formula, a quantum walk, not a quantum leap, sums up the approach. Georges links this to the place of women in the field, and to the fact that a quantum ecosystem also needs sales, legal and management profiles. EDHEC's programmes, starting with its MBAs, are gradually adding quantum content.
The interview was shared on LinkedIn by Lionel Martellini.
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