This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast looks at the challenges and opportunities facing companies in the quantum-technology sector.

Our first guest is Rafal Janik, who is chief operating officer of Xanadu. He explains that the Canada-based company is developing both hardware and software for quantum computers. Janik also talks about the challenges of recruitment, the company’s residency programme for students and how Xanadu is working with Volkswagen to design better batteries.

Also featured in this week’s podcast are two UK-based chief executive officers – Carmen Palacios-Berraquero of Nu Quantum and Richard Murray of ORCA Computing. They are both co-founders of UKQuantum, a new organization that aims to be the voice of the UK’s quantum industry.

UKQuantum has just opened for membership and Palacios-Berraquero and Murray explain why the time is right for the UK’s burgeoning quantum industry to club together to face common challenges and find new opportunities. They also talk about what it takes to get a company off the ground as well as looking to the future of the UK’s quantum industry.