Quantum computing is not just changing how fast computers work – it is changing which problems can be solved in the first place. For businesses, this is not a technical issue. It is a leadership issue. And most management teams are getting it wrong.
Two-thirds of German companies view quantum computing as a key technology for the future. At the same time, almost as many say they intend to wait and see before taking any action themselves. These are the findings of the Bitkom study *Quantum Computing in the German Economy 2026, published at the end of March 2026, which surveyed a representative sample of 607 companies with 100 or more employees.
That’s not a contradiction. It’s a choice. And it has a name: the follower strategy.
Those who wait for others to gain experience are consciously accepting that others will learn sooner, fail sooner – and succeed sooner. That may be a rational approach. But it should be a conscious strategic choice, not a reaction born of uncertainty. For the real bottleneck in this race is not technology. It is leadership.
What quantum computing is – and why it matters to your board meeting
Classical computers operate in bits: 0 or 1. Always one or the other. Quantum computers work with so-called qubits – these can be both 0 and 1 at the same time. What sounds abstract has very concrete consequences: computational problems that would take a classical supercomputer thousands of years to solve can be solved by a quantum computer in minutes.
What does this mean in practice? A pharmaceutical company simulates new active ingredients before a laboratory even picks up a pipette. A bank calculates risk scenarios in real time that are simply not possible today. A logistics group optimises global supply chains at a level of complexity that was previously unmanageable. And an attacker decrypts the data they are already harvesting today – in just a few years’ time, once the technology has scaled up.
This final example deserves particular attention. The so-called ‘harvest now, decrypt later’ risk is very real: data stolen today could be readable tomorrow. According to a Bitkom study, 94% of German companies recognise that quantum computing poses a fundamental IT security risk. And yet a third of those companies that are already actively addressing the issue have not yet implemented any protective measures.
There is a huge gap between knowledge and action. This is not a technological problem. It is a leadership problem.
Germany is in mid-table – and that is the real risk
Only 3% of the German companies surveyed see Germany as the world’s leading nation in quantum computing. 35% place the country in the middle of the pack, whilst 29% even regard it as a laggard. The US is considered by far the frontrunner, followed by China and Japan.
Germany is a leader in research. Europe’s first IBM Quantum System One is located in Ehningen. The German government has invested around 2.8 billion euros in quantum technologies by 2026. The foundations are in place.
What is missing is the transfer to the executive level. 65% of German companies cite a lack of human resources as the biggest obstacle when it comes to quantum computing. This is followed by uncertainty about the regulatory framework and doubts about the technology’s maturity – both at 61%. And 54% lack basic knowledge of the technology itself.
That is the real message behind these figures: it is not technology that is holding Germany back. Rather, it is the lack of leaders who can strategically assess technology and use it to inform their decision-making.
“For 30 years, we have been filling leadership roles at pivotal moments of change. What I see today is something new: companies are no longer just looking for someone to fill a role. They are looking for someone who can steer the ship when the broader context is shifting fundamentally. The ability to lead amid exponential uncertainty is becoming the new distinguishing feature in executive search – and those who do not actively seek this profile today will not find it tomorrow.”
Martin Krill, CEO HAGER Executive Consulting
The new competency profile: What Quantum Leadership means
“Quantum Leadership” is not synonymous with a technical understanding of quantum physics. It describes a leadership approach – and it has three dimensions.
- Strategic technological literacy. Quantum-ready executives do not need to be quantum physicists. However, they must be able to assess technological developments, scrutinise vendors’ promises and make investment decisions before the competition forces them to do so.
- Leadership in the face of exponential uncertainty. Most management teams are conditioned to rely on predictability. Quantum leadership means: making decisions based on incomplete information, adjusting course without losing face, and treating experimentation as part of the organisation’s core ethos rather than punishing mistakes.
- Cross-functional integration capability. Quantum computing affects more than just IT or R&D. It impacts risk management, cybersecurity, product development, the supply chain and financial models – all at the same time. Executives who think in silos will fail to recognise the implications of this technology in time.
What this means in practice for boards and executive teams
Quantum computing is not an issue that can be delegated to the IT department. It is a governance issue.
Board members and supervisory board members who are unable to grasp the strategic implications of this technology will make the wrong decisions – or none at all. Both have consequences. Anyone filling a C-level position today – CEO, CTO, CISO, CDO, CFO – without considering quantum readiness as a required skill will have to fill that position again in a few years’ time. Under less favourable circumstances.
Four measures that cannot be put off:
- Leadership review. Which members of your executive team are capable of strategically navigating exponential technological change? This question should be answered honestly – without sugar-coating the reality.
- Redefining leadership profiles. When filling the next C-level role, quantum readiness must be included in the job description. Not as a bonus – as a basic requirement.
- Quantum computing on the board’s agenda. It belongs in supervisory board and advisory board meetings. If the board is unable to hold this discussion, it needs new members.
- Post-quantum security strategy today. CISOs should assess which cryptographic systems are quantum-resistant – and which are not. 29% of German companies are already working on this. The rest are lagging behind.
64% of German companies are taking a wait-and-see approach. That is a choice.
The companies that will emerge as winners from the quantum age in a few years’ time have made a different choice – and decided earlier than others which leaders they need to achieve this.
HAGER Executive Consulting has been identifying such individuals for 30 years, having successfully filled over 6,000 roles. The profile that companies now require is more demanding than any we have sought before. And it is rare. Those who seek it when the market needs it will no longer find it.
