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In an interview published by The Quantum Insider on Oct. 17, 2026, computer scientist and Munich quantum software company co-founder Robert Wille argued that practical quantum computing depends on software design automation, not just new algorithms. He described the field as moving from basic research toward applied work, while stressing that hardware types and software frameworks will need to work together.
Robert Wille, a computer scientist at the Technical University of Munich and co-founder of a quantum software company, said practical quantum computing will require design automation and software that connects users with different quantum hardware, not just the development of new algorithms. In an interview published by The Quantum Insider on Oct. 17, Wille described the field as shifting from basic research toward applied work, while emphasizing that production-ready software remains a challenge.
Wille said he has worked in quantum computing for more than 15 years. He described the purpose of quantum software as bridging the gap between hardware and applications: it must help end users access machines and make applications run. He said the company, founded a little more than a year before the interview, aims to turn university research into production-ready commercial software. The interview does not name the company or provide details about its products, customers or funding.
Wille argued that the software ecosystem will need to accommodate a range of computing technologies and quantum hardware, rather than assume a single system or programming approach will dominate. He cited superconducting devices, neutral atoms and ion traps as modalities that may need dedicated software. At the same time, he said users should not have to manage those hardware differences themselves.
On programming frameworks, Wille credited IBM’s Qiskit with helping build an open-source community, but said other approaches also have a role. He pointed to MLIR and QIR, which he described as moving toward an LLVM-style direction, and called for compatibility among tools rather than either one dominant solution or many incompatible ones. The interview also covered integration with high-performance computing, open-source strategy and AI-assisted development, though the supplied transcript excerpt does not include Wille’s detailed answers on those subjects.
Building Software Across Quantum Hardware
Quantum processors alone do not provide a usable computing service. Developers and organizations need software to express workloads, adapt them to hardware, and connect quantum processors with conventional computing resources. Wille’s argument puts software engineering and automation alongside hardware progress as conditions for moving beyond research demonstrations.
A more varied hardware landscape could make software portability and interoperability practical concerns for researchers and future users. If tools are tied closely to one device type or framework, teams may face extra work when changing platforms. Conversely, a shared software layer could simplify access, though Wille’s remarks do not establish that such a layer already exists or that the different approaches can be unified easily.
His comments are an industry and research perspective, not evidence that quantum computers are ready for broad commercial use. Wille himself said the field is not yet at the point of fully exploiting quantum computing. The significance is the engineering problem he identifies: software needs to mature as the hardware and applications develop.
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From University Research to Products
Wille described himself as an academic and researcher at the Technical University of Munich, as well as an entrepreneur. He said the company was formed to move innovations developed in an academic setting into a commercial environment, where software can be prepared for production. The interview says it was founded a little more than a year earlier, but gives no exact founding date.
Wille characterized quantum computing as being in a transition from basic research to applied research, with practical applications still ahead. He said the widely discussed algorithms associated with Peter Shor and Lov Grover are important examples, but argued that quantum computing could have uses beyond those cases. He described a future computing environment that could combine CPUs, GPUs, quantum processors and other specialized technologies, with different systems suited to different tasks.
He also discussed the value of open-source development and the need for quantum software to connect with broader computing infrastructure. These are positions expressed in the interview; it does not provide independent testing, deployment results or a roadmap showing when specific applications will be commercially useful.
“You definitely need software to connect the end users to the hardware and to make these applications work.”
— Robert Wille, in an interview with The Quantum Insider
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Open Questions on Deployment
The interview does not identify the company Wille co-founded or specify its software, customers, commercial deployments, revenue or technical performance. It also gives no timetable for when quantum applications will become practical, and no benchmark or independent evaluation supporting claims about the benefits of design automation or AI-assisted development.
Wille’s remarks about future computing uses and software architecture are his assessment. The interview does not establish which applications will benefit from quantum processors, how widely the hardware modalities will be adopted, or whether Qiskit, MLIR, QIR and other tools will achieve the compatibility he advocates. The excerpt supplied for this report ends as the discussion turns to design automation, so further details from that part of the conversation are not available.
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Progress Depends on Software Maturity
The interview announces no product launch, partnership, funding round or near-term milestone. Wille’s stated direction is to keep turning academic work into commercial software and to support tools that can bridge different quantum hardware and computing environments. The next evidence to watch for would be named products, customer deployments, technical demonstrations and clearer information about how the company’s approach handles interoperability.
For the broader field, progress will depend on whether software can make quantum systems accessible to application developers and integrate them with existing high-performance computing workflows. Wille’s interview sets out that challenge but does not show that it has been solved or give a date for when practical deployments may follow.
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Key Questions
What did Robert Wille say quantum software needs?
Wille argued that the field needs design automation and software that connects users, applications and quantum hardware, alongside continued work on algorithms and processors.
Is quantum computing ready for widespread practical use?
Wille said the field is moving from basic research toward applied research but is not yet at the point of fully exploiting quantum computing. The interview does not provide a deployment timetable.
What is Wille’s view of Qiskit and other frameworks?
He praised Qiskit’s open-source contribution and community-building role, while also pointing to approaches such as MLIR and QIR. He said tools should remain as compatible as possible without forcing the entire field into one solution.
Which quantum hardware types did Wille mention?
He referred to superconducting, neutral-atom and ion-trap systems, and said each may need dedicated software even as end users seek easier access across hardware types.
What is known about Wille’s company?
Wille said it was founded a little more than a year before the interview to turn university research into production-ready commercial software. The interview excerpt does not name the company or give product, customer or funding details.
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