Fujitsu Partners with MOL Logistics to Explore Quantum-Driven Maritime Efficiency
April 19, 2022
Maritime shipping is the backbone of global trade, accounting for more than 80% of goods transported worldwide. From raw materials to finished products, shipping lanes serve as the arteries of international commerce. Yet, the industry faces mounting challenges—fuel price volatility, port congestion, unpredictable weather, and climate-driven disruptions are straining the traditional logistics planning models that shipping operators have relied on for decades.
Against this backdrop, Fujitsu and MOL Logistics (MOL) announced on April 19, 2022, a landmark initiative to explore how advanced computing—specifically Fujitsu’s Digital Annealer—could transform the efficiency and resilience of maritime supply chains. Their collaboration underscores both Japan’s strategic embrace of next-generation technologies and the urgent need for innovation in the shipping industry.
A Quantum-Inspired Approach to Global Shipping Challenges
The quantum revolution has generated global excitement, but most practical quantum hardware remains in its infancy. Fujitsu’s Digital Annealer offers a bridge: a quantum-inspired computing architecture that mimics the logic of quantum annealing but operates on conventional hardware. The system is engineered to solve combinatorial optimization problems—complex puzzles where thousands of variables must be arranged for the best possible outcome.
In maritime logistics, optimization problems appear at every turn. Carriers must balance ship fuel consumption, port berth schedules, cargo mix, and container utilization, all while navigating environmental regulations and unpredictable disruptions. MOL Logistics, a key division of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Group, manages an extensive portfolio of cargo solutions across sea, land, and air. For them, the potential of Fujitsu’s Digital Annealer lies in its ability to reimagine decision-making in Japan’s dense and strategically critical maritime corridors.
The Partnership in Detail
The April 2022 initiative brought together MOL’s logistics expertise and Fujitsu’s applied computing division to test how Digital Annealer-based models could improve operational efficiency. Specific pilot areas included:
Port-to-port routing optimization across East Asia and Pacific trade hubs.
Berth scheduling and slot allocation, enabling ships to avoid costly delays.
Scenario planning for resilient routes under variable weather conditions and fuel cost fluctuations.
The trials leveraged Fujitsu’s computational models while drawing on MOL’s operational data to simulate realistic scenarios.
How Fujitsu’s Digital Annealer Works
The Digital Annealer is not a quantum computer in the strictest sense. It uses a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) architecture to emulate aspects of quantum mechanics, particularly the concept of “tunneling” that allows exploration of complex solution spaces without getting trapped in local minima.
In practice, the system is adept at solving QUBO (Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization) problems—mathematical formulations that capture the kinds of constraints and trade-offs inherent in logistics planning. For MOL Logistics, the Digital Annealer enabled rapid processing of thousands of possible routing combinations, delivering near-instant suggestions for fuel-efficient paths while factoring in port availability and container deadlines.
Real-World Use Cases Explored
The pilot simulations in April 2022 focused on intra-Asia container routes, including Yokohama to Busan, Manila, and Singapore. The tests included scenarios reflecting pandemic-era port congestion, weather-related slowdowns, and fluctuating shipping demand.
Key findings included:
Fuel savings of up to 9% on selected trial routes.
Improved scheduling accuracy by 12–15%, reducing delays at congested ports.
Reduced empty-container repositioning, lowering operational costs and emissions.
These results highlighted the value of quantum-inspired computing in managing unpredictable variables in maritime logistics.
Industry and Regional Significance
The Fujitsu–MOL collaboration aligns with Japan’s broader policy objectives. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has placed supply chain resilience high on its agenda, while the Japanese government’s Moonshot R&D Program promotes quantum and advanced computing research for industrial applications. MOL’s digitalization roadmap also supports Japan’s carbon neutrality goals for 2050, making sustainability a key driver of this initiative.
Beyond Japan, the trial has regional implications. Maritime hubs in Singapore, Taiwan, and the Philippines face similar challenges and are also experimenting with advanced optimization technologies. By proving that a quantum-inspired tool can deliver tangible results today, Fujitsu and MOL set a precedent that other Asian ports are likely to follow.
Competitive Landscape in Quantum Maritime Logistics
This project does not exist in isolation. Around the world, other shipping and logistics players are piloting quantum or quantum-inspired tools:
D-Wave and Port of Los Angeles tested container scheduling optimization.
Classiq and ZIM Integrated Shipping Services explored quantum circuit design for freight routing.
IBM Q and Maersk partnered on post-quantum cybersecurity for maritime systems.
What distinguishes Fujitsu’s Digital Annealer is its readiness for deployment. While true quantum systems remain limited by hardware constraints, the Digital Annealer offers immediate scalability and industrial reliability, positioning it as a commercially viable alternative.
Roadmap Toward Integration
Following the April pilot, Fujitsu and MOL Logistics laid out a roadmap for expansion:
Scaling beyond Asia to include global intermodal routes, such as trans-Pacific and Europe–Asia corridors.
Building an API layer for integration into MOL’s Transport Management Systems (TMS).
Developing a digital twin environment for container flow forecasting, combining quantum-inspired insights with real-time operational data.
The long-term vision is a hybrid logistics system where AI-driven prediction, real-time visibility, and quantum-inspired optimization converge into a unified decision-making platform.
Broader Implications for Logistics Technology
The Fujitsu–MOL collaboration illustrates a pragmatic path forward in logistics innovation. Instead of waiting for fully scalable quantum computers, the Digital Annealer enables near-term adoption of quantum-inspired methods, delivering measurable benefits today.
This has far-reaching implications:
Emissions reduction through optimized routing and fewer unnecessary port calls.
Scenario-based logistics planning, improving resilience to disruptions.
Hardware-agnostic quantum adoption, ensuring companies can upgrade seamlessly as true quantum hardware matures.
Conclusion
The April 19, 2022 partnership between Fujitsu and MOL Logistics signals a pivotal moment for maritime logistics. By applying quantum-inspired computing to real-world shipping problems, the collaboration has demonstrated both immediate operational benefits and a blueprint for future digital transformation.
As global shipping continues to face unprecedented challenges, tools like the Digital Annealer offer a critical competitive edge. Fujitsu and MOL’s work shows that quantum-inspired logistics is not a distant vision but a practical solution already reshaping maritime efficiency today—one that could define the next era of sustainable global trade.