Quantum-Optimized Port Operations Slash Vessel Wait Times in Global Pilot

For decades, congestion at the world’s busiest ports has been one of the most stubborn choke points in global trade. Container ships often wait hours — sometimes days — to secure a berth, unload cargo, and clear customs. The cumulative cost of these delays is staggering: billions of dollars in fuel expenses, idle labor, and missed delivery deadlines ripple through the supply chain. On May 14, 2025, however, a landmark announcement suggested that this problem may finally have met its technological match: quantum-powered optimization for real-world port logistics.

The pilot project, coordinated by the International Maritime SmartPort Alliance (IMSA), connected three of the world’s busiest shipping hubs — Rotterdam, Singapore, and Los Angeles — to test the application of quantum computing in live port operations. Working with Canadian quantum technology leader D-Wave Systems and a Singapore-based AI logistics firm, IMSA set out to solve a puzzle that has resisted conventional solutions for decades: how to orchestrate thousands of moving parts in a port ecosystem in real time.

The Port Congestion Puzzle

At first glance, port operations appear straightforward: ships arrive, unload containers, and move on. Yet beneath the surface, the scheduling complexity rivals that of air traffic control — multiplied by the added dimensions of customs, cargo priorities, equipment availability, and unpredictable external factors like weather and labor actions.

Traditional scheduling systems are rule-based and largely sequential. A vessel’s estimated time of arrival is logged, berths are assigned based on slot availability, cranes are allocated by shift, and customs inspections follow a queue. But reality is far more chaotic. A single storm can delay arrivals by 12 hours, forcing berths to sit idle. A broken crane can throw off unloading sequences for multiple ships. A last-minute rerouting of perishable cargo demands top priority clearance.

For decades, ports have relied on reactive management — human dispatchers adjusting plans on the fly, supported by classical optimization software that quickly becomes overwhelmed as the number of variables explodes.

Why Quantum Computing Fits

Quantum computing offers a fundamentally different approach. While classical systems evaluate possible solutions one at a time, quantum annealing allows the exploration of many possible configurations simultaneously, making it particularly effective for combinatorial optimization — the very type of problem port scheduling represents.

In the pilot, the hybrid system assigned tasks across hundreds of vessels by simultaneously considering berth availability, crane capacity, labor schedules, and customs clearance slots. Every 90 seconds, classical AI systems ingested new data streams — including IoT sensor readings from cranes, AIS ship-tracking signals, and customs database updates — and passed the updated scenario to the quantum solver.

This closed feedback loop allowed the system not only to produce optimal schedules but also to continuously re-optimize them as conditions shifted, ensuring resilience to disruptions.

The Numbers: Efficiency at Scale

The trial’s outcomes were nothing short of transformational.

• Average vessel wait times dropped 42%, from 17.3 hours to just 10.0 hours.

• Crane idle time decreased 31%, allowing ports to process more containers without adding new equipment.

• Customs clearance bottlenecks were cut 29%, as the system dynamically matched available inspectors with high-priority shipments.

At the Port of Los Angeles, analysts calculated that the efficiency gains could deliver $1.2 billion in annual savings if applied port-wide. When scaled to global shipping volumes, the figure could exceed $15 billion per year in reduced costs and avoided delays.

Industry Voices

The maritime sector, often criticized for technological inertia, responded with unusual enthusiasm.

“Port logistics is one of the most complex optimization problems in the world — and quantum computing is finally showing it can solve them at scale,” said Ingrid Vermeer, CEO of IMSA. “We’re moving from reactive management to proactive orchestration. That’s a paradigm shift.”

Executives from participating ports echoed that sentiment. A spokesperson from the Port of Rotterdam Authority highlighted how quantum-driven insights allowed them to prepare labor and crane assignments up to four hours in advance, with far fewer last-minute changes. Meanwhile, Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority reported that customs officers saw smoother workflows, reducing downtime between inspections.

Beyond Efficiency: Environmental Impact

The pilot’s environmental component was another breakthrough. Shipping is under immense pressure to decarbonize, and idle ships contribute heavily to emissions. Using the same hybrid system, IMSA’s environmental module optimized vessel speeds and berthing orders to minimize fuel waste during idle periods.

Preliminary results showed a 12% drop in CO₂ emissions among the participating vessels. This aligns with global sustainability targets, particularly the International Maritime Organization’s goal of cutting shipping emissions by 50% by 2050. For carriers facing mounting regulatory and reputational pressures, the ability to combine operational efficiency with measurable carbon reductions could prove decisive.

What Comes Next

Building on the trial’s success, IMSA announced that it will extend the program to nine additional ports by mid-2026. The next phase will expand functionality in three major ways:

1. Predictive Maintenance: Using real-time equipment health data, the system will schedule maintenance windows without disrupting throughput.

2. Labor Optimization: Quantum models will dynamically assign labor shifts to match demand peaks and avoid costly overtime.

3. Adaptive Customs Pre-Clearance: By analyzing shipping manifests before vessels arrive, the system will enable faster inspections and reduce paperwork delays.

Analysts believe these features could deliver an additional 15–20% efficiency boost, further compounding the already impressive savings.

Global Trade Implications

If adopted widely, quantum-optimized ports could rewire global trade flows. Reduced congestion would make certain hubs more attractive, potentially shifting shipping routes. For example, ports in Southeast Asia that traditionally struggle with bottlenecks could gain a competitive edge over established European hubs by adopting quantum tools earlier.

Supply chain resilience would also improve. With faster, more predictable turnaround times, manufacturers could better align production schedules with shipping windows, reducing costly buffer inventories. Retailers and eCommerce firms would gain more reliable delivery forecasts, strengthening customer satisfaction.

Financial markets are taking note too. Several investment banks have already flagged “quantum-ready ports” as a potential new class of infrastructure assets, with higher expected returns due to reduced operational risk.

A New Era for Maritime Logistics

For an industry that moves over 80% of global trade by volume, the implications of this breakthrough are enormous. Reduced delays mean lower costs, fewer emissions, and greater predictability in an era of fragile supply chains.

As Vermeer concluded during the announcement:
“Quantum technology is not replacing human expertise — it’s augmenting it. By giving port operators faster, clearer decision-making tools, we’re setting the stage for a more synchronized global trade network.”

What began as a technical pilot is now shaping up to be the foundation of a quantum-enabled supply chain era. For the first time in modern shipping history, ports may have the tools to outpace the relentless growth of global trade.