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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 quantum computing needs design automation and production-ready software, not algorithms alone. He described the field as moving from basic research toward applied research, while saying practical deployment remains ahead.
Robert Wille, a computer scientist at the Technical University of Munich and co-founder of Munich Quantum Software Company, said quantum computing will need design automation and production-ready software to progress from research toward practical applications. In an interview published by The Quantum Insider on Oct. 17, he argued that work on algorithms is only part of the challenge: software must also connect users with different quantum hardware and fit 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 developers now need to make software work in practice rather than treat it only as an experimental research tool. His comments reflect his view of the field and do not establish a timetable for commercial advantage or deployment.
He said he has worked in quantum computing for more than 15 years and combines academic work at the Technical University of Munich with company-building. Wille said the company, founded a little more than a year before the interview, aims to turn university innovation into production-ready commercial software. The interview did not provide details on the company’s products, customers, revenue or specific deployment results.
On programming tools, Wille credited IBM and Qiskit’s open-source approach with helping build a developer community, while rejecting the idea that one framework should necessarily dominate. He pointed to efforts such as MLIR and QIR as other approaches, and said software should remain as compatible as possible across frameworks and hardware types, including superconducting devices, neutral atoms and ion traps.
Software Must Bridge Quantum Systems
Wille’s argument shifts attention from quantum algorithms to the engineering needed to make them usable. For organizations considering quantum systems, software compatibility, workflow integration and access to hardware affect whether research can be translated into applications. A fragmented set of tools could make it harder for developers to move programs between platforms or for users to work with quantum processors alongside classical systems.
Wille also described a future computing landscape in which quantum processors work alongside CPUs, GPUs and other specialized hardware. In that setting, software would need to help determine which technology suits a given task and connect those systems. This is a vision he expressed in the interview, not evidence that such heterogeneous quantum systems are already widely deployed.
His emphasis on design automation reflects the difficulty of optimizing quantum software and hardware together. The interview framed those challenges as similar to optimization problems addressed in classical computing. If tools can automate more of that work, developers may be able to focus on applications rather than low-level implementation, though the interview supplied no measured performance results or product demonstration.
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From University Research to Products
Wille described a path from academic research to commercial software development. He said university settings support innovation, but that making software production-ready for real users requires work beyond what an academic environment can provide. The company was established to carry some of that development into a commercial setting, according to his account.
The interview also addressed whether quantum programming will settle around one dominant environment. Wille said Qiskit has played a substantial community role, but quantum computing includes different hardware modalities and software approaches. He argued for both shared standards and modality-specific tools, with enough compatibility to keep the ecosystem connected without forcing every developer into one solution.
“We really have to make it work in practice.”
— Robert Wille, in an interview with The Quantum Insider
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Deployment and Results Remain Open
The interview does not establish when quantum computing will deliver practical advantages for particular applications. Wille said the field is not yet at the point where quantum computing can be fully exploited, but gave no specific milestones or forecast that could be independently assessed. It also did not identify which applications are likely to benefit first.
Details about Munich Quantum Software Company’s software, technical capabilities, customer base and commercial performance were not supplied in the source material. Wille’s views on design automation, interoperability and future computing systems are expert opinion and a description of the company’s focus; they are not independent evidence of demonstrated outcomes.
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Watch for Tools and Deployments
The next evidence to watch for is whether quantum software providers publish details of tools that address design automation and cross-platform compatibility, along with demonstrations on real hardware. Adoption by users, integration into high-performance computing environments and reproducible application results would help show whether the software challenges Wille described are being addressed.
Wille did not announce a product launch, funding round or deployment milestone in the interview. The company’s next steps and the timing of any customer-facing releases were not specified, so future developments remain unconfirmed.
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Key Questions
What did Robert Wille say quantum software needs?
Wille argued that quantum computing needs design automation and production-ready software, as well as algorithms, to connect users with quantum hardware and help applications work in practice.
Is quantum computing already moving into broad practical use?
Wille described the field as moving from basic research toward applied research, but said it is not yet at the point of fully exploiting quantum computing. The interview gave no timetable for broad deployment.
Did Wille say Qiskit will be replaced?
No. He praised IBM and Qiskit for their open-source contribution and community role. He also said other approaches, including MLIR and QIR, have a place and that compatibility across tools matters.
What is Munich Quantum Software Company?
Wille said he co-founded the company a little more than a year before the interview to develop production-ready commercial software from academic innovation. The source did not detail its products, customers or commercial results.
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