What is the future role of quantum computation in drug discovery?

Quantum computing promises to revolutionise a range of scientific fields by providing solutions to previously intractable problems. The link between the technology and applications in chemistry has made drug discovery a natural place to look for ‘low-hanging fruit’. However, until recently, the lack of accessible, scalable hardware has led to comparisons with nuclear fusion. In this article, we describe how developments in both hardware and algorithms are bringing the time closer when quantum computing, as well a the innovations it inspires, adds real value to computational chemistry in real-world applications.