Fujitsu and NYK Reveal Quantum-Inspired Digital Annealer
Fujitsu Limited and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) have released Fujitsu’s quantum-inspired Digital Annealer technology to significantly streamline complex stowage planning for car carriers, leveraging the technology’s world-class combinatorial optimization capabilities.
The Digital Annealer will play a role in automating aspects of the stowage planning process for NYK’s dedicated car carriers, an enormously complex task involving a vast number of possible stowage patterns depending on the number of vehicles loaded, models of vehicles, and the number of ports called along the shipping route.
After successful initial tests, Fujitsu and NYK have launched a real-world operational trial of the technology to commence full-scale operational use in April 2022.
Moving forward, Fujitsu and NYK will continue working together to further improve the system by increasing processing speed and improving the accuracy of output results during trial operations.
The two companies ultimately aim to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions across the automobile shipping supply chain, improving the efficiency of cargo handling and ship operations to contribute to the realization of a more sustainable future.
To solve these problems, NYK has introduced Fujitsu’s Digital Annealer to help optimize its stowage planning.
Fujitsu’s Digital Annealer is a computing architecture inspired by quantum phenomena, offering users the ability to rapidly solve complex combinatorial optimization problems at speeds significantly faster than general-purpose computers and without the added complications and costs typically associated with quantum computing methods.
With the introduction of the Digital Annealer, Fujitsu built a cloud-based system that automatically completes the work of planning the optimum stowage position of a vehicle that takes into account various conditions, which is the most important task of creating a stowage plan.
NYK is promoting the further improvement of highly safe navigation and efficiency through the digitization of ships, as well as the reduction of environmental impact under its concept of “Digitalization and Green”, to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Fujitsu will continue to play an active role in NYK’s digitization efforts, delivering new value and the enhancement of competitiveness in all industries through Digital Annealer and the achievement of the SDGs for society as a whole.
