IBM and Maersk Explore Blockchain and Quantum Security for International Logistics

IBM and Maersk Partner on Future-Proof Logistics with Blockchain and Quantum Security Research

The logistics industry underwent a notable shift in May 2016, when IBM and Maersk—two giants in technology and shipping—collaborated to test blockchain as a way to modernize global supply chain workflows. While headlines focused on blockchain's potential for tracking shipments and reducing paperwork, a quieter but equally significant focus was taking shape: post-quantum security.

At the core of the partnership was the goal to enhance transparency and trust in international logistics by digitizing documentation, automating compliance, and enabling secure, tamper-proof data exchanges. But IBM’s Zurich and Almaden research labs had already begun evaluating what would happen to these blockchain systems once quantum computers mature.

Blockchain Meets the Quantum Security Challenge

Traditional blockchains, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, rely on cryptographic algorithms like RSA and ECDSA—both of which are vulnerable to Shor’s algorithm on a sufficiently powerful quantum computer. IBM, aware of this vulnerability, was simultaneously working on integrating quantum-safe digital signature schemes into permissioned blockchains being considered for enterprise logistics.

In the case of Maersk’s early test platform, the idea was to digitize shipping manifests, bills of lading, and customs clearances. These documents are often passed between dozens of parties, including port authorities, freight forwarders, insurance companies, and government agencies. A breach or forgery could cause delays, legal disputes, or security violations.

With this in mind, IBM began modeling blockchain infrastructures that use hash-based signature schemes like XMSS and SPHINCS to ensure long-term verifiability of shipping records, even after the advent of quantum decryption capabilities.

Use Cases for Quantum-Safe Blockchain in Logistics

The IBM-Maersk initiative identified three key logistics use cases where quantum-resilient blockchain could offer significant benefits:

1. Tamper-Proof Chain of Custody
   Securely recording the movement of goods through multiple touchpoints, from container loading to port transfer to final delivery.

2. Digitally Signed Smart Contracts
   Ensuring contractual terms between shipping lines, insurers, and port operators remain immutable and verifiable, regardless of future quantum threats.

3. Customs and Compliance Data Sharing
   Enabling secure, real-time sharing of shipping manifests and certificates with customs officials across borders, with resistance to future quantum-based attacks.

The collaboration emphasized that quantum security isn't just a future concern—it’s a present design requirement for long-term infrastructure.

Technical Foundations and Interoperability

IBM’s blockchain solutions were based on Hyperledger Fabric, a modular and permissioned blockchain platform that allows pluggable consensus and membership services. By May 2016, IBM had begun implementing custom cryptographic modules to support experimental quantum-safe signature algorithms.

Meanwhile, Maersk’s IT teams provided real-world logistics datasets to simulate how global shipment transactions would behave on this infrastructure. These simulations helped test system latency, compliance workflows, and digital identity verification for thousands of shipments.

A key goal was interoperability with legacy systems. For instance, the quantum-secure blockchain needed to interface with:

• SAP logistics modules used in freight accounting

• OCR and RFID systems at shipping yards

• EDI gateways between customs and carriers

Global Industry Relevance and Strategic Implications

This early experiment had wide implications. As the largest container ship operator in the world, Maersk manages 15% of global seaborne trade. A secure, quantum-resilient data layer for its supply chain could become a global standard, particularly as other carriers, like CMA CGM and MSC, began to explore similar systems.

The implications extended to international trade compliance under the World Trade Organization and regional frameworks like ASEAN and the EU Customs Union. Digital trust and data provenance would become essential pillars of frictionless, digitally enabled logistics.

For IBM, the project helped demonstrate how quantum-safe solutions could be deployed in hybrid environments. These would combine classical cryptography, emerging post-quantum schemes, and blockchain consensus algorithms optimized for performance and auditability.

Policy and Regulatory Considerations

Governments also began to take notice. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the European Commission’s DG MOVE (Mobility and Transport) flagged the importance of secure logistics protocols in the quantum era. Though not yet mandated, the ability to produce cryptographically verifiable supply chain records was seen as key to deterring fraud, smuggling, and cyberattacks.

Cybersecurity experts from NIST, the UK's GCHQ, and Germany’s BSI began consulting with private sector partners on how post-quantum standards could apply to logistics and transport infrastructure.

Conclusion

IBM and Maersk’s 2016 collaboration on blockchain logistics was visionary not only for embracing distributed ledgers but for proactively designing those ledgers with quantum security in mind. The foresight to integrate post-quantum cryptography into global supply chain systems sets a critical precedent for others to follow.

As quantum computing advances, logistics platforms that fail to evolve may find their security models—and compliance status—suddenly obsolete. IBM and Maersk’s experiment was an early signal that the future of freight isn’t just smart or fast—it must also be quantum-resilient.