Quantum Leap in Logistics: DHL Collaborates with D-Wave to Trial Quantum Optimization

DHL and D-Wave: A Strategic Quantum Alliance

In early April 2019, DHL Supply Chain, a division of Deutsche Post DHL Group, announced a research collaboration with D-Wave Systems to investigate how quantum annealing could be applied to warehouse routing and bin packing. The move underscored a growing interest in quantum logistics from major players, particularly in Europe.

DHL’s innovation team engaged D-Wave’s 2000Q system to explore how the technology could minimize travel distances for pickers in their vast warehouses. Early results showed potential improvements over traditional heuristics-based approaches, especially when problem size and complexity increased.

“This is not just academic,” stated Matthias Heutger, SVP and Global Head of Innovation at DHL. “We are actively assessing quantum solutions in real-world operational environments.”

Tackling NP-Hard Logistics Problems with Quantum Annealing

Warehouse optimization problems such as bin packing and pick path planning fall into a class of NP-hard problems — meaning they scale exponentially in complexity. Traditional computers struggle to find optimal solutions quickly as the number of variables grows.

D-Wave's quantum annealers are particularly suited for these types of combinatorial optimization challenges. By encoding the logistics problem into a quantum energy landscape, the system can probabilistically converge on lower-cost configurations much faster than brute-force classical methods.

In DHL's case, the goal was to reduce the travel time required for warehouse personnel to collect goods during peak fulfillment periods — a key metric for cost-efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Proof of Concept: Measurable Improvements in Routing

The joint team developed a warehouse simulation that involved thousands of product bins and dozens of picker routes. They then created a QUBO (Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization) model to represent the routing challenge.

Using the D-Wave 2000Q system, researchers found that quantum-assisted optimization delivered solutions 15–20% more efficient than legacy rule-based algorithms on specific routing configurations.

While not yet ready for full production deployment, the improvement was notable enough to warrant further trials across other regions and warehouse types.

Global Context: Europe Leading Quantum Logistics Pilots

This collaboration places Europe at the forefront of early quantum logistics experimentation. It complements ongoing research in the Netherlands and Germany, where quantum research hubs like QuTech (TU Delft) and Forschungszentrum Jülich are also exploring logistics optimization.

For instance, QuTech had already initiated exploratory discussions with Dutch shipping giant Maersk on quantum-enhanced port logistics. Similarly, Jülich’s collaboration with IBM’s Q Network included models for scheduling in cargo rail systems.

In Asia, China's Baidu Research had only recently announced a quantum computing framework, but was still far from deploying it in logistics applications. Meanwhile, U.S.-based logistics firms such as UPS and FedEx were largely still in exploratory discussions or academic partnerships.

Challenges: Noise, Scaling, and Algorithm Complexity

Despite promising initial results, both DHL and D-Wave acknowledged limitations. The annealer’s limited qubit connectivity and noise make it difficult to scale solutions to very large or dynamic warehouse configurations.

Moreover, mapping real-world logistics constraints into a QUBO model often required simplifications, potentially sacrificing some fidelity.

That said, DHL’s investment in internal quantum expertise and model development was already paying dividends — creating a robust foundation for future adaptation as quantum hardware matures.

Looking Forward: Toward Hybrid Quantum-Classical Logistics Systems

The next step in DHL’s roadmap, according to insiders, is integrating quantum solvers into hybrid classical-quantum workflows. This would allow classical systems to handle standard optimization workloads and defer the most complex subproblems to quantum processors.

D-Wave’s Leap platform, launched earlier in 2019, was positioned to support this evolution. It provides cloud-based access to the company’s quantum annealers, making it easier for logistics engineers worldwide to experiment with quantum logic without setting up local infrastructure.

By combining DHL’s deep logistics expertise with D-Wave’s specialized hardware, the collaboration sets a template for how traditional industries can adopt emerging quantum capabilities incrementally — not as a silver bullet, but as a valuable complement to conventional systems.

Conclusion: DHL Signals a Quantum-Ready Future

April 2019 may well be remembered as the moment when quantum computing began to seep into enterprise operations in tangible ways. DHL’s partnership with D-Wave marks a critical inflection point — shifting from academic theory to real-world impact.

Though much of quantum computing’s potential remains unrealized, early signals suggest that logistics — with its complex optimization challenges — will be among the first domains to benefit.

For global logistics leaders, the message is clear: the quantum era is arriving sooner than expected, and those who invest early in experimentation will be best positioned to capture tomorrow’s efficiencies.