Internationals Women's Day - Quantum spotlight - Elica Kyoseva

03/07/2022

How did you enter the quantum world? What is your current role?

I entered quantum computing the old-school way 😊 by doing a PhD in quantum optics and after studying Physics as my major. I made a huge transition in my work when I joined BI as an applied quantum computing scientist in 2020, and I currently work on software/quantum computing use cases for the pharma industry.

Are you seeing more women breaking through the tech industries glass ceiling?

There is a positive trend in the last couple of years, especially since quantum computing became much more mainstream and we see a lot of industry/start-up players getting involved. But we definitely need to do more to improve the gender diversity in the field. By my observations, women currently hold between 10 and 20% of technical roles in the field. My personal hope is that in the next 5 years, with the field of quantum computing maturing, this number will increase and we will have more women heading up teams and companies in the field.

What advice would you give other women in the same position as you?

There are, unfortunately, not many women in the same position like me. So I will address the ones that are currently considering entering the field. I would suggest them to find a mentor and a supporting team that can help them during the tough parts of their careers. Also, to be proactive and to look for opportunities to meet people and to network as no one ever knows from where the next big thing will show up.

Who is your role model? (in the industry or out)

My mother is actually my role model! She raised me and provided me with opportunities to pursue my aspirations that she never had living in communist-times Bulgaria. So, thank you and happy Women's Day, Mum! Quantum is changing rapidly

What are your big picture predictions for next 5 years?

My predictions/hopes are to already have some useful applications out of NISQ hardware, that means having NISQ chips with hundreds of good quality qubits, and also small-scale realizations of full error-corrected circuits.


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