Maersk and Toshiba Launch First Cross-Border Quantum Key Distribution for Maritime Logistics

In a landmark moment for both cybersecurity and international trade, global shipping giant Maersk and Toshiba Europe have successfully completed a quantum key distribution (QKD) trial between the ports of Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Felixstowe in the United Kingdom. The trial, the first of its kind in the maritime logistics sector, utilized subsea fiber-optic cable infrastructure provided by BT Group, and marks the emergence of quantum-safe shipping lanes for cross-border freight data.

What Happened: A Quantum Leap in Maritime Security

During the trial, freight manifests, customs declarations, and cargo tracking metadata were secured using Toshiba’s multiplexed QKD solution, which distributes quantum encryption keys through photons over long distances. By implementing this cutting-edge cryptographic method over 140 kilometers of subsea fiber, Maersk and Toshiba achieved a stable exchange of quantum-secured keys, an essential step toward defending logistics data from future quantum decryption threats.

The trial represents a convergence of quantum physics, cybersecurity, and supply chain technology at an international level—establishing a new security baseline for the future of maritime logistics infrastructure.

“The goal is to build out quantum-safe corridors between Europe and Asia to protect the flow of critical logistics information,” said Navneet Kapoor, Chief Information Officer of Maersk. “This means securing everything from shipping documentation and digital bills of lading to real-time IoT container telemetry feeds.”

Why It Matters: The Coming Quantum Threat

The urgency to transition to post-quantum cryptography stems from the accelerating progress of quantum computing, which has the potential to break widely used public-key encryption algorithms such as RSA and ECC. These methods currently secure everything from bank transactions to international trade documents.

While scalable quantum computers capable of such feats remain on the horizon, “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks are already a real concern. Adversaries may intercept and store encrypted data today in the hopes of decrypting it later using quantum techniques.

For the logistics and shipping industry—where terabytes of operational and customer data flow between ports, customs agencies, freight forwarders, and IoT devices—this creates significant risks. From cargo tampering and insurance fraud to national security threats involving dual-use goods, data integrity is paramount.

Toshiba’s QKD approach delivers information-theoretic security, which is mathematically provable even in the face of future quantum computers. In the trial, encryption keys were generated using quantum entanglement and photon polarization, which cannot be copied or intercepted without detection, a principle rooted in quantum mechanics.

The Technical Backbone: Toshiba’s Multiplexed QKD Over Subsea Fiber

The core innovation behind this trial is Toshiba’s multiplexed QKD protocol, which allows quantum signals to coexist with conventional data traffic over the same fiber infrastructure. This is vital in real-world deployments where laying new dedicated quantum cables would be prohibitively expensive.

The Rotterdam–Felixstowe route utilized BT Group’s existing subsea fiber-optic network, a strategic choice due to its location on one of Europe’s busiest trade corridors. Toshiba’s system used decoy state protocols and wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) to ensure that quantum key signals were distinguishable from classical traffic while maintaining high throughput.

According to Toshiba, the test maintained a secure key rate of several kilobits per second over the 140 km link, enough to support the AES-256 encryption of logistics data at operational scales. The system was also integrated with Maersk’s existing logistics IT platforms and cloud interfaces, showing real-time quantum key exchange status via dashboards.

Strategic Goals: Quantum Corridors Between Continents

Maersk has set an ambitious goal: to create secure, quantum-resilient communication corridors connecting Europe, Asia, and North America. This would shield vital logistics information exchanged between global port hubs like Singapore, Shanghai, Dubai, Rotterdam, Los Angeles, and Felixstowe from the coming quantum era’s cyber risks.

This vision aligns with broader policy objectives outlined in the European Union’s Digital Sovereignty framework and the UK’s National Quantum Strategy, both of which emphasize the development of quantum-secure infrastructure as a strategic asset. The Felixstowe pilot is seen as a proof-of-concept for how sovereign and commercial stakeholders can collaborate to build such corridors at scale.

“Quantum-secure global trade is not a luxury—it’s a necessity,” said Andrew Shields, Head of the Quantum Technology Division at Toshiba Europe. “Our partnership with Maersk and BT shows it is both technically and operationally feasible, even under real-world maritime logistics conditions.”

Wider Implications for Supply Chains and Customs Authorities

The implications of QKD deployment in maritime logistics extend far beyond Maersk’s operations. As governments and customs authorities worldwide modernize their single window systems, blockchain-based trade platforms, and smart ports, the need for post-quantum encryption standards becomes more urgent.

For instance, digitally issued bills of lading, a key document in global trade, are increasingly being adopted by major shippers. These documents, often transferred between multiple parties across jurisdictions, need robust end-to-end security. With QKD, these transactions can be sealed with quantum-proof keys, guaranteeing data authenticity and tamper detection.

Furthermore, the use of QKD in customs data exchanges—especially for dual-use, high-tech, or sensitive cargo—could also provide new levels of compliance assurance and trust between trading partners.

Toward Standardization and Scalability

While this trial demonstrates real-world QKD viability over subsea links, the technology still faces challenges in cost, integration, and scalability. Toshiba’s multiplexing capability is a significant breakthrough, allowing QKD to piggyback on existing telecom infrastructure, but interoperability standards across hardware, software, and encryption protocols are still maturing.

Organizations like the ETSI Quantum-Safe Cryptography working group and ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 27 are already developing international standards for QKD and post-quantum cryptography. Maersk's success may help accelerate regulatory and commercial momentum behind these efforts, especially as more governments include quantum resilience criteria in procurement guidelines and cybersecurity frameworks.

Next Steps: Expanding the Quantum Supply Chain Network

Following the trial, Maersk is now in discussions with Asian port authorities, satellite QKD providers, and European infrastructure consortia to expand the quantum-safe corridor concept. The idea is to create a mesh of secure data highways across fiber and space, enabling encrypted trade documentation and operational telemetry across oceans and borders.

The company is also exploring hybrid architectures combining classical public-key cryptography, post-quantum algorithms, and QKD—each used based on sensitivity, bandwidth, and latency requirements. The goal is not to replace existing systems wholesale, but to layer in QKD where the risks and benefits are most aligned.

There’s also growing interest in integrating QKD into blockchain-enabled logistics, where distributed ledgers can be made even more secure through quantum-proof consensus mechanisms and identity verification processes.

Conclusion: A Quantum-Ready Future for Global Trade

Maersk and Toshiba’s successful quantum key distribution trial across a critical maritime route sets a powerful precedent for what’s to come. In the face of rising quantum cybersecurity threats, this real-world demonstration shows that the shipping industry can proactively adopt next-generation encryption tools—securing trade lanes and critical infrastructure before adversaries exploit quantum capabilities.

The fusion of quantum physics, fiber-optic infrastructure, and logistics IT systems is still in its early stages, but its potential is vast. As quantum computing advances from theory to application, quantum-secure communication will be essential not just for governments and defense, but also for the vast, interconnected machinery of global commerce.

By forging the first cross-border QKD deployment in the maritime world, Maersk and Toshiba have not only taken a step forward in cybersecurity—they’ve redefined the map of international trade, one entangled photon at a time.