Port of Singapore Authority Partners with D-Wave to Trial Quantum Optimization in Maritime Logistics
February 17, 2022
Southeast Asia’s Quantum Entry via the World’s Busiest Port
Singapore’s port is one of the most complex logistical environments in the world, handling more than 36 million TEUs annually, making it one of the top global hubs for maritime trade. Every day, thousands of vessels dock, load, and depart, requiring precise coordination of berth scheduling, yard management, and container dispatching. These processes demand navigating a highly dynamic mix of constraints—vessel arrival delays, unpredictable weather, global shipping congestion, and localized cargo handling bottlenecks.
On February 17, 2022, PSA announced a landmark collaboration with D-Wave Systems, a Canadian quantum computing pioneer. The partnership aimed to investigate whether quantum annealing could offer a new level of efficiency in solving combinatorially intensive scheduling and allocation problems. The central question: Can quantum optimization meaningfully reduce vessel wait times and improve throughput during peak congestion scenarios?
For Southeast Asia, this move represented more than just a trial. It was a signal of entry into the global race for quantum logistics, joining the ranks of North America, Europe, and East Asia in testing how next-generation computation could reshape supply chain systems.
D-Wave’s Quantum Annealing and Maritime Logistics
D-Wave occupies a unique niche in the quantum computing ecosystem. Unlike gate-based systems, which aim for universal quantum computation, D-Wave offers commercially available quantum annealers specialized for discrete optimization tasks. These machines are particularly adept at solving problems expressed as Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) models.
Port logistics, with its resource allocation and scheduling demands, is naturally suited to QUBO formulations. For PSA, the D-Wave team focused on three primary problem sets:
Berth scheduling – assigning vessels to available berths in a way that minimizes overall delays while maximizing utilization.
Yard crane scheduling – reducing “dead time” in crane operations by optimizing task sequences.
Container reshuffling – minimizing unnecessary container relocations while enabling faster access to outbound freight.
This focus reflected PSA’s operational pain points: even small improvements in these areas translate into massive economic gains at global scale.
Pilot Trial Structure and Technical Scope
The pilot, launched in early February 2022, was structured to test realistic, high-stakes scenarios.
Data Input: Historical congestion data from PSA terminals was ingested to simulate conditions.
Modeling Approach: Core scheduling challenges were reformulated as QUBO models.
Solver Deployment: D-Wave’s Leap™ quantum cloud platform was used, integrating quantum annealers with hybrid classical solvers.
Evaluation Metrics: KPIs included vessel wait time, container dwell time, and equipment idle time.
In practice, the hybrid solver setup outperformed traditional heuristics in peak-load conditions, particularly where the number of valid scheduling combinations ballooned beyond classical tractability.
Measured Results and Observations
While the February 2022 announcement marked the beginning of the pilot, early evaluations already showed promising outcomes:
Up to 17% reduction in vessel wait time during peak congestion.
Improved berth utilization, ensuring higher throughput without additional infrastructure.
Load balancing gains across container-handling equipment, reducing idle cycles.
One of the most significant findings was the ability of the system to manage soft constraints, such as customer service commitments and multi-objective optimization. The hybrid solvers adapted effectively to last-minute changes in ship schedules—an area where classical systems often falter.
The Regional and Global Significance
The PSA–D-Wave pilot was among the first port logistics trials worldwide to directly apply quantum computing. Its implications extend beyond Singapore.
Globally, other initiatives were already in motion:
Europe: Airbus and Maersk had begun exploring quantum-enhanced logistics.
North America: The Port of Los Angeles was piloting AI-quantum hybrid models with Google.
Middle East: KAUST in Saudi Arabia launched logistics-focused quantum studies.
By entering the field, Singapore positioned Southeast Asia as a critical player. Neighboring ports such as Port Klang (Malaysia), Laem Chabang (Thailand), and Busan (South Korea) could follow suit, raising the region’s technological baseline for maritime logistics.
Technology Stack and Methodology
The technical stack for the PSA pilot reflected D-Wave’s hybrid approach:
Leap Quantum Cloud Service provided access to annealing hardware.
Ocean SDK enabled modeling of scheduling problems as QUBO formulations.
Hybrid Solver API combined quantum exploration with classical refinement.
Data ingestion modules prepared live and historical terminal datasets.
Container flow scenarios were encoded using integer programming techniques. The solver iterated across thousands of potential solutions, narrowing down to high-scoring candidates. These outputs were then benchmarked against PSA’s rule-based planning systems, demonstrating clear advantages under complex conditions.
Strategic and Economic Implications
Singapore’s trial carried several broader implications:
Supply Chain Resilience: Post-COVID disruptions had highlighted vulnerabilities in port management. Quantum approaches promised faster, more adaptive scheduling under strain.
National Quantum Roadmap: In 2022, Singapore’s National Research Foundation committed SGD $25 million to quantum R&D, explicitly including logistics applications.
Green Shipping: Efficient berth and crane scheduling translates into reduced vessel idling, lowering port emissions—a priority in Singapore’s Green Shipping Corridor initiatives.
D-Wave’s Global Logistics Playbook
The PSA pilot was part of D-Wave’s broader logistics strategy in 2022, which included:
US Postal Service (USPS) – package sorting and routing pilots.
Volkswagen – traffic flow optimization trials in Beijing and Barcelona.
Save-On-Foods (Canada) – distribution center scheduling improvements.
These projects underscored D-Wave’s intent to bring quantum annealing into real-world mission-critical operations, moving beyond academic proofs-of-concept.
Port Operations, Reimagined
The PSA experiment highlighted how quantum annealing complements classical systems. Rather than replacing PSA’s terminal operating system (TOS), quantum solvers acted as an augmentation layer, improving performance in complex, high-uncertainty scenarios.
Applications included:
Dynamic berth scheduling under variable arrival windows.
Yard crane task allocation to reduce reshuffles.
Truck dispatch optimization for outbound containers.
This hybrid role makes quantum less disruptive to existing infrastructure while enabling efficiency gains.
Challenges and Areas for Further Development
Despite encouraging progress, the pilot identified several challenges:
Legacy Integration: Aligning quantum outputs with PSA’s TOS required new middleware and testing cycles.
Solver Runtime Consistency: Larger QUBO instances occasionally strained available resources.
Talent Gap: Few professionals in port operations possessed quantum modeling expertise.
To address this, PSA and D-Wave outlined next steps:
Live tests integrating quantum solvers directly with PSA’s TOS.
Joint education programs with National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University to train quantum-logistics specialists.
Exploration of custom solver development tailored to port operations.
Outlook: Scaling Quantum at Global Ports
Looking forward, the PSA–D-Wave collaboration may set the stage for scaling quantum logistics globally. With ports increasingly becoming bottlenecks in global trade, the ability to optimize scheduling in near real time is a strategic asset.
By 2025, PSA could become the first major terminal operator to embed quantum solvers into daily workflows. If successful, the model may inspire adoption at other global ports, from Rotterdam to Los Angeles.
Conclusion
The February 17, 2022, announcement of PSA’s partnership with D-Wave was more than a pilot—it was a statement of intent. Singapore, long known as a logistics and innovation hub, positioned itself at the forefront of applying quantum computing in maritime trade.
The early results—reduced vessel wait times, improved berth utilization, and better equipment balance—demonstrated that quantum annealing has a practical role in one of the world’s most complex operational theaters.
While challenges remain in scaling, integration, and talent development, the partnership underscores a clear trajectory: ports of the future will increasingly rely on quantum-enhanced decision-making. For Singapore, this move not only strengthens its competitive advantage but also positions it as a regional leader in quantum logistics innovation, setting a benchmark for global peers.