The Finnish government agency Business Finland has allocated grants totaling €2.79 million for two industrial quantum projects. The funding has been awarded to software developer QMill and shipping operator ESL Shipping.
The funds are distributed as follows:
- €1.09 million for the Smart Fleet Optimization project for ESL Shipping;
- €1.7 million for QMill's Supernova research initiative.
ESL Shipping is testing a hybrid model that combines classical computing with quantum algorithms to optimize its fleet. This pertains to tramp shipping, where scheduling depends on cargo flows, power constraints, emissions, and commercial priorities.
The Supernova initiative focuses on developing algorithms tailored to the limitations of current noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) systems. The goal is to identify commercially significant problems in the energy, transportation, and telecommunications sectors where quantum computing can provide a practical advantage over classical architectures.
Supernova is a continuation of the QMill program, which was launched in 2024 with support from the same agency.
This investment is part of Business Finland's national program to strengthen the quantum hub in Northern Europe. The project aims to demonstrate how heavy industry and logistics can integrate quantum tools to reduce fuel consumption and comply with environmental regulations.
In May, Quantinuum and BP began a joint project to apply quantum computing for subsurface probing and mapping of the Earth's crust.