Port of Singapore Authority Partners with IBM to Explore Quantum Optimization for Mega Port Expansion

Singapore Eyes Quantum Tools for Asia’s Busiest Shipping Hub

The Port of Singapore, one of the world's busiest and most strategic logistics nodes, is facing rising throughput demand projected to exceed 65 million TEUs by 2040. In August 2017, PSA International began exploratory simulations in collaboration with IBM’s quantum research division to examine whether next-generation computing could help model the complexity of cargo flows, berth allocations, and crane scheduling during peak operations.

While still in a pre-commercial stage, the collaboration marked one of the first efforts in Asia to incorporate quantum annealing and early gate-based quantum logic into strategic port development simulations. The initiative also reflected Singapore’s aggressive national push to integrate deep tech—including AI, blockchain, and quantum—into its Smart Nation agenda.

“Our aim is to future-proof the Tuas Mega Port not just physically, but digitally—using quantum models to simulate scenarios beyond what classical systems can handle,” said Tan Chong Meng, Group CEO of PSA International, in a 2017 statement.

Tuas Mega Port: A Logistics Future on the Horizon

The Tuas Mega Port, set to consolidate all existing Singapore terminals into a single hub by 2040, is designed to be the world’s largest fully automated terminal. Phase 1 of the project, comprising 21 deep-water berths, is slated for completion in the early 2020s.

PSA’s partnership with IBM included access to IBM’s Q Network researchers in Zurich and Yorktown Heights, focusing on:

• Berth Allocation Optimization: Minimizing ship turnaround time through quantum-enhanced simulations.

• Crane Scheduling and Utilization: Using quantum solvers to reduce crane idling and conflicts.

• Dynamic Route Rebalancing: Evaluating quantum machine learning (QML) approaches to traffic management within the port’s road and rail subsystems.

While not yet implemented on physical infrastructure, these feasibility studies offered an early benchmark for what logistics orchestration might look like in the quantum era.

IBM’s Asia-Pacific Quantum Push

By mid-2017, IBM had opened access to its 5-qubit quantum processor via the IBM Q Experience, with over 60,000 users worldwide. Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and the National Research Foundation had expressed interest in leveraging this cloud-accessible environment for R&D purposes.

Dr. Talia Gershon, IBM's Senior Manager for Quantum Research at the time, noted:

“Logistics systems are among the most computationally intractable in industry. Quantum computing offers promise for solving route optimization and congestion problems that grow exponentially with scale.”

The PSA collaboration was part of IBM’s broader effort to demonstrate quantum applicability across industrial verticals—especially those with high complexity and high value like logistics, energy, and materials science.

Simulating Complexity: Why Quantum?

Classical supercomputers struggle with real-time port simulation involving millions of containers, thousands of cranes and vehicles, and highly variable shipping schedules. Quantum systems, particularly those designed for combinatorial optimization, could potentially simulate and improve:

• Stowage Planning: Optimizing container placement to minimize loading/unloading delays.

• Traffic Simulation: Modeling vehicular flows across inland logistics zones, gates, and intermodal links.

• Delay Prediction: Leveraging quantum ML to identify potential schedule cascading from disruptions like weather or labor slowdowns.

Even at a low-qubit stage, hybrid quantum-classical models could reduce simulation runtimes and expand scenario diversity for long-term planning.

A Model for Other Smart Ports

Singapore’s exploration positioned it as a bellwether for smart port development. Ports in Rotterdam, Shanghai, and Busan have all since explored quantum-enhanced approaches, but PSA's early interest gave it a notable first-mover edge in understanding the business and computational requirements for implementation.

In addition to IBM, PSA later engaged with quantum algorithm startups and hardware innovators, laying the groundwork for future pilot deployment when commercially viable quantum hardware matures.

Regional Significance and Long-Term Outlook

Asia handles over 60% of global container volume. With geopolitical tensions rising in trade corridors like the South China Sea and Strait of Malacca, Singapore’s role as a neutral and technologically advanced port is strategically critical.

The government’s Smart Port and Logistics innovation grant schemes, introduced in 2016, encouraged the testing of frontier technologies, from AI to quantum and drone integration. By 2017, over 80 innovation projects were underway at PSA, Jurong Port, and related operators.

Quantum logistics remains a long-horizon play, but the groundwork laid in 2017 formed a critical foundation.

Industry Reception and Implications

While the quantum modeling exercise was met with cautious optimism by industry analysts, many logistics executives recognized the direction the industry was heading.

“Ports like Singapore and Rotterdam are betting on future infrastructure that’s algorithmically defined, not just physically constructed,” said Dr. Erik van der Zee, maritime logistics professor at TU Delft.

Challenges remain, including:

• Hardware Scalability: Most optimization-relevant problems need dozens to hundreds of qubits to outperform classical methods.

• Talent Shortages: Few maritime logistics experts understand quantum computing, and vice versa.

• Integration Gaps: Existing port systems are deeply entrenched and highly customized.

Despite these, early simulations like PSA’s help bridge the strategic and technical communities toward quantum integration.

Conclusion

The August 2017 initiative between PSA International and IBM may have been a feasibility study, but it set the tone for how quantum computing could augment one of the most complex logistics environments in the world. As Tuas Mega Port continues to take shape, the incorporation of quantum simulations in its planning reflects a growing recognition that quantum technologies—though not yet production-ready—will soon become essential tools in port operations, optimization, and risk resilience. Singapore's bold digital infrastructure vision continues to set a high bar, not just for Asia, but for the global logistics industry.