IBM and Maersk Explore Quantum-Ready Architecture for Global Supply Chain Networks

A Quantum Pivot for Global Shipping Giants

In September 2020, two giants in their respective domains — IBM and Maersk — made headlines by deepening their research collaboration to explore quantum technologies for global logistics. While still in the exploratory phase, their announcement reflected a growing trend in the logistics sector: quantum computing is no longer just a theoretical curiosity but a tool with tangible potential to revolutionize global supply chains.

This initiative came amid increasing pressures on global trade brought about by COVID-19 disruptions, rising cybersecurity risks, and the growing complexity of multimodal shipping.

TradeLens: A Foundation for Quantum Integration

At the core of this research is TradeLens, a blockchain-enabled platform co-developed by Maersk and IBM since 2018. TradeLens already connects over 150 supply chain partners — including ports, ocean carriers, customs authorities, and shippers — facilitating data sharing, customs clearance, and document validation across a decentralized platform.

As IBM and Maersk explored quantum capabilities, the TradeLens ecosystem provided an ideal testbed. The system’s vast, distributed datasets — rich in temporal, spatial, and operational attributes — presented exactly the kind of optimization and data security challenges that emerging quantum algorithms aim to address.

Use Case 1: Container Routing and Port Congestion

Global supply chains often suffer from delays caused by suboptimal container routing and port congestion. Traditional optimization tools rely on linear programming and heuristics to determine vessel schedules, yard handling strategies, and last-mile container delivery timelines. However, these systems struggle when too many constraints (e.g., weather, fuel cost, storage fees, geopolitical risk) are added into the mix.

The IBM-Maersk initiative explored quantum annealing and variational quantum algorithms (VQAs) to improve dynamic container routing in TradeLens. By encoding shipping constraints into QUBO (Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization) formulations, early quantum solvers could evaluate thousands of routing permutations to reduce fuel consumption, port delays, and transshipment time.

Simulations conducted using IBM’s Qiskit optimization framework on classical emulators showed a potential 3–7% improvement in routing efficiency compared to traditional algorithms — small on paper but significant when scaled to Maersk’s global operations, which handles over 12 million containers annually.

Use Case 2: Supply Chain Risk Modeling

Another area of focus was probabilistic supply chain risk modeling. With TradeLens recording real-time status updates from ports and terminals, IBM researchers proposed the use of quantum-enhanced Monte Carlo simulations to forecast cascading delays across interconnected shipping legs.

By leveraging quantum sampling techniques, the simulations could potentially identify high-risk nodes or ports where delays might propagate across the supply chain. This would enable Maersk to reroute shipments proactively or pre-allocate cargo capacity based on predicted bottlenecks.

While classical Monte Carlo models are already used in shipping, the team’s hypothesis was that quantum versions could significantly cut computational time — especially for highly entangled, uncertain environments where risk is nonlinear and difficult to simulate.

Use Case 3: Post-Quantum Security for Trade Data

Perhaps the most forward-looking component of the collaboration involved post-quantum cryptography (PQC). Given TradeLens’s dependence on blockchain infrastructure for document validation and transaction integrity, the platform’s long-term security posture needs to withstand future quantum attacks.

By September 2020, IBM had already begun contributing to the NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization process with schemes like CRYSTALS-Kyber and CRYSTALS-Dilithium. The Maersk team began assessing whether these PQC algorithms could be integrated into TradeLens’s blockchain smart contracts and data exchange protocols.

IBM’s Zurich Research Lab initiated white-box tests of PQC key exchanges over simulated TradeLens channels. Although encryption sizes increased marginally, the latency remained within acceptable bounds for logistics use cases.

Expanding the IBM Quantum Network for Logistics

This announcement coincided with IBM’s continued expansion of its IBM Quantum Network, a global ecosystem of Fortune 500 companies, research institutions, and governments exploring commercial applications of quantum computing. In September 2020, Maersk was reported to be an early exploratory partner within this network, gaining access to:

• IBM’s 27-qubit and 65-qubit processors (the latter launched around this time).

• Qiskit open-source framework and quantum circuit simulators.

• Consultation and algorithm co-development sessions with IBM’s quantum research division.

By being part of the network, Maersk could test real-world logistics problems on early quantum hardware, accelerating proof-of-concept validations.

Global Context: Shipping in Crisis

September 2020 was a critical period for the shipping industry. The COVID-19 pandemic had wreaked havoc on freight schedules, with blank sailings, crew quarantines, and container shortages causing ripple effects worldwide. This operational chaos made the case for smarter, more adaptive logistics platforms.

The timing of the IBM-Maersk quantum announcement was not accidental — it served as a signal that next-generation technologies would be central to post-COVID supply chain resilience.

Technical Challenges and Roadblocks

Despite the promise, the September 2020 report acknowledged several hurdles to practical deployment:

• Quantum hardware maturity: Most simulations were run on emulators. Physical quantum machines remained error-prone and limited in qubit count.

• Hybrid integration: Bridging classical optimization systems and quantum co-processors required careful architectural design and latency mitigation.

• Talent pipeline: Very few logistics professionals understood quantum computing, raising the need for reskilling programs within Maersk’s digital innovation teams.

What Comes Next?

The IBM-Maersk collaboration has since continued evolving, but the seeds planted in 2020 laid the groundwork for future logistics systems that combine blockchain, AI, and quantum optimization into one interoperable platform.

For 2021 and beyond, the teams outlined further areas for exploration:

• Real-time berthing slot optimization using quantum-classical reinforcement learning.

• Dynamic pricing models for container freight insurance via quantum sampling.

• Port security monitoring using quantum radar and post-quantum secure comms.

Conclusion: A Template for Quantum-First Supply Chains

The September 2020 exploration by IBM and Maersk wasn’t just a tech demo — it marked a strategic pivot for the logistics sector. By anchoring quantum capabilities within a real-world system like TradeLens, the collaboration offered a glimpse into the architecture of future-proof, quantum-ready supply chains.

While widespread adoption is years away, this initiative made one thing clear: the container shipping industry is no longer waiting to be disrupted — it’s proactively leading the charge into the quantum age.