• The physicist and science communicator Alberto Aparici was the guest speaker at the opening session of this series of lectures
• Under the slogan ‘The future is debated here’, the Fundación Valenciaport is promoting this forum for learning and dialogue to address major contemporary challenges through leading national and international figures
• The speaker estimated that it will take between 10 and 15 years for quantum computers to solve real-world problems on a massive scale

Valencia, 29 May 2026. – The Fundación Valenciaport successfully launched its new series of conferences, “Encounters at the Port of Valencia”, yesterday to a packed audience. This first session of reflection and dialogue featured a talk by physicist and science communicator Alberto Aparici, who analysed the key aspects and real-world impact of quantum computing.

Under the title “From the quantum to the screen. A brief introduction to quantum computing”, Aparici clarified the use of this emerging technology. “It is not about making devices faster, but about using information in a different way,” explained the expert. According to the physicist, in these systems information is distributed throughout the memory, allowing operations to be carried out in a single step that in traditional computing would require scanning the entire hard drive.

The speaker also tempered immediate expectations by noting that “only those operations that can take advantage of this ‘distributed’ nature of information will be faster. We may well live through a few decades in which quantum computers are super-specialists, dedicated exclusively to specific problems. For all other functions, we will continue to use conventional computers, which are highly efficient.”

Aparici concluded that the main current obstacle is technological development. Although current prototypes are visually spectacular, the expert noted that “in reality they are small, almost like toys”. The industry’s real challenge lies in building larger memories without compromising system stability. “We probably still have ten or fifteen years to go before we have a ‘mature’ quantum computer,” he predicted.

Connection between the port and the public

This new initiative, promoted by the Fundación Valenciaport and backed by the Valencia Port Authority, has been launched with the aim of reinforcing the organisation’s humanistic dimension and strengthening ties between the port area and civil society.

Under the slogan “The future is debated here”, the series has established itself as a free-to-attend forum for addressing major contemporary challenges – from science and technology to ethics and sustainability – with the help of leading national and international figures.

The organisers are already working on the second session of these “Encounters at the Port of Valencia”, which will take place next September. The final date and the name of the new guest speaker will be announced in the coming weeks.