Accenture Pilots Quantum-Resistant Blockchain for Supply Chain Security

Accenture Tests Quantum-Safe Blockchain for Logistics Data Protection

On November 29, 2016, Accenture announced a pilot program testing quantum-resistant blockchain protocols for supply chain data integrity, in response to growing concerns about the vulnerabilities of current blockchain systems in the face of emerging quantum computing capabilities.

The initiative focused on supply chain management platforms, which are increasingly reliant on permissioned blockchains to log transactions, track assets, and authenticate documentation across multiple stakeholders. As quantum computers become capable of breaking RSA and elliptic curve cryptography, these systems are increasingly at risk.

Accenture’s Blockchain Innovation Lab collaborated with Post-Quantum, a UK-based cybersecurity firm specializing in quantum-safe cryptography, to embed post-quantum encryption (PQC) into existing blockchain infrastructure.

The Post-Quantum Threat to Supply Chains

Modern supply chains rely on blockchain to record:

Shipment documentation (bills of lading, invoices)

Provenance of goods

Sensor telemetry (temperature, location, humidity)

Chain-of-custody logs

If adversaries were to use quantum computers to forge keys or decrypt blockchain transaction histories, the trust foundation of global logistics networks could collapse—impacting everything from pharmaceuticals to defense shipments.

Pilot Design and Execution

The pilot focused on two main logistics scenarios:

Document Authentication – Verifying that digital certificates attached to goods were signed using quantum-safe signatures.

Multi-Party Ledger Validation – Ensuring that transaction entries remained immutable under post-quantum attack scenarios.

The team tested hybrid blockchains using algorithms such as SPHINCS+, LMS (Leighton-Micali Signature Scheme), and NTRUEncrypt to replace vulnerable components.

They also evaluated PQC performance under typical logistics workloads, where data entries are made every few seconds across dozens of nodes.

Outcomes and Performance Benchmarks

Initial results were promising:

Quantum-safe blockchain maintained 95% of classical performance in standard transactions

Signing and verification time increased only marginally for SPHINCS+, within acceptable operational thresholds

All cryptographic functions passed MITM and rollback-resilience testing under simulated attack models

These results suggested that blockchain platforms used for logistics applications can adopt PQC without major performance trade-offs—making the transition to post-quantum infrastructure viable within three to five years.

Implications for Global Supply Chain Security

Accenture’s work fed into the World Economic Forum’s broader discussions on quantum cybersecurity and supply chain digital trust. The pilot was presented at WEF’s Centre for Cybersecurity roundtable in Geneva in December 2016.

Maersk, FedEx, and DP World were among the logistics stakeholders briefed on the pilot’s potential for integration with IoT-enabled container tracking systems and smart contract automation.

Cybersecurity experts noted that the move toward PQC blockchain could complement initiatives in quantum key distribution (QKD) for end-to-end encryption—forming a layered defense strategy.

Strategic Partnerships and Next Steps

Following the pilot, Accenture began exploring partnerships with:

Hyperledger and Ethereum Enterprise Alliance for integrating PQC into enterprise-grade blockchain

National quantum initiatives in the EU and Singapore

Tech providers including Thales, Toshiba, and ISARA focused on PQC integration

Accenture also signaled intentions to open-source portions of its post-quantum blockchain toolkit for broader industry collaboration.

Conclusion

With its November 2016 trial, Accenture positioned itself at the forefront of securing digital supply chains for the quantum era. By demonstrating the feasibility of post-quantum blockchain systems in real-world logistics environments, the firm offered a viable path forward for organizations seeking to protect data integrity against future quantum threats.

As logistics networks become more digitized and decentralized, such quantum-safe measures will be critical in preserving global trade resilience—and the trust that underpins it.