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Robert Wille, a Technical University of Munich researcher and co-founder of a quantum software company, says the field is moving from basic research toward practical deployment. In an interview published by The Quantum Insider, he argued that design automation, compatible software across hardware types and integration with high-performance computing will matter alongside algorithm development.
Robert Wille, a computer scientist at the Technical University of Munich and co-founder of a quantum software company, said quantum computing will need design automation and production-ready software to progress from research toward practical applications. In an interview with The Quantum Insider published October 17, he argued that software must connect users and applications to different quantum hardware, while fitting into broader computing systems.
Wille described quantum computing as being in a transition from basic research to applied research, while cautioning that useful applications are not yet broadly established. He said the next stage requires teams to make systems work in practice rather than focus mainly on exploratory research. He did not identify a specific application or deployment timeline in the interview.
He argued that quantum software should support a heterogeneous computing environment, in which quantum processors work alongside CPUs, GPUs and other specialized technologies. Software tools, in his view, need to help match computing resources to applications and make hardware differences less burdensome for end users.
Wille also discussed the coexistence of programming and intermediate-representation approaches, including Qiskit, MLIR and QIR. He praised IBM and the Qiskit community for open-source contributions, but said the field should avoid both a single dominant solution and a fragmented landscape whose components cannot work together. Different quantum hardware modalities may need specialized tools, he said, alongside ways to make them accessible through shared platforms.
Software Must Connect Quantum Systems
Quantum processors alone do not give businesses or researchers a usable computing service. Software sits between an application and hardware, translating work into instructions that a particular system can execute. Wille’s remarks put automation, portability and integration at the center of the commercialization challenge, rather than treating algorithm design as the only major task.
If quantum computers become part of high-performance computing environments, users may need to combine them with conventional processors instead of running workloads on quantum hardware alone. Software that can coordinate those resources could make experimentation and deployment easier. That is a direction Wille described, not evidence that such systems are already delivering broad practical benefits.
His comments also highlight a coordination problem: tools tailored to particular devices may improve access to those systems, but incompatible frameworks could make it harder to move applications or skills between providers. Shared standards and open-source development may help, though the interview did not establish that the community has settled on a common approach.
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From University Research to Production
Wille said he has worked in quantum computing for more than 15 years and holds roles in academia and industry. He told interviewer Yuval that he works at the Technical University of Munich and that a company was founded a little more than a year before the interview. The company’s stated purpose, as Wille described it, is to turn academic developments into production-ready commercial software.
The interview framed the sector’s current position as an intermediate stage: quantum hardware and software have largely been research subjects, while expectations are growing around applications. Wille discussed Shor’s and Grover’s algorithms as prominent examples, but said he sees potential beyond those cases. He did not provide a catalogue of other validated applications or claim that commercial quantum advantage is already available.
On software, Wille pointed to Qiskit as an important open-source environment and named MLIR and QIR as other developments with different design choices. He also referred to hardware such as superconducting devices, neutral atoms and trapped ions, arguing that software must accommodate these differences without making the end user manage every detail.
“We’re not completely there yet that we really can exploit quantum computing, but we are transitioning from basic research to applied research.”
— Robert Wille, in an interview with The Quantum Insider
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Applications and Standards Remain Open
The interview does not establish when quantum computers will deliver broadly useful applications, which workloads will benefit, or how large those benefits may be. Wille said the sector is moving toward applied research, but gave no firm schedule, performance data or customer deployment details to quantify that progress.
It is also unclear how the software ecosystem will balance shared platforms with tools designed for particular hardware modalities. The interview did not announce a standard, product release, partnership or new funding. Wille’s views on design automation and interoperability are his assessment of what the field needs, rather than proof that the proposed approaches have already resolved those challenges.
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Building Tools for Practical Deployment
Wille said the work ahead is to turn academic software developments into production-ready tools and make quantum systems easier to use within wider computing environments. The interview did not name a specific upcoming launch or milestone, so no dated product or deployment should be inferred from his comments.
For the field, the next signs of progress will include whether software can support different hardware platforms, connect with high-performance computing workflows and reduce the effort required to develop and run applications. The timing and commercial impact of those developments remain uncertain.
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Key Questions
What did Robert Wille say quantum software needs?
Wille argued for design automation, production-ready tools and software that can connect applications to different quantum hardware and broader computing systems.
Does Wille say quantum computing is already ready for widespread practical use?
No. He described the field as moving from basic research toward applied research and said it is not yet fully able to exploit quantum computing.
Which software approaches did Wille discuss?
He discussed Qiskit, MLIR and QIR, saying different approaches can coexist if they remain as compatible as possible. He did not announce a new standard or say one framework will replace the others.
Why does interoperability matter for quantum software?
Quantum hardware comes in different modalities, and software may need to support their particular requirements. Compatibility could help users access different systems without becoming responsible for every hardware detail, though the interview does not show that this challenge has been solved.
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