Contractor wanted for QCMobility | Road traffic

8. April 2024

We are looking for contractors for our QCMobility project to support us in the road transport sub-project in developing efficient solutions to planning processes and optimisation problems for demand-sensitive services using DLR QCI quantum computers. Participation in the tender process is possible via TED 197361-2024. The submission deadline is 8 May 2024 at 2 pm.

Collaboration in the QCMobility | Road Transport project

For participation in the QCMobility project, we are looking for industrial partners to research the potential of quantum computers in the implementation of efficient solutions for planning processes and optimisation problems in transport with a focus on future Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) services and stopping point problems for courier, express and parcel service providers (CEP).

To this end, the industrial partner will provide real data sets of customer utilisation as well as the specific planning parameters such as scheduling planning, deployment planning, demand, business areas and level of service that DLR requires for the necessary design of the quantum computing solution strategies. Once these strategies have been developed, they are to be used in the processes of the industrial partner in order to jointly evaluate the quality of the results and the framework conditions for a potential technical increase in efficiency.

In concrete terms, this means, among other things

  • the specification of a use case in road transport, ideally in connection with the localisation of virtual stops or loading zones,
  • the provision of data and information for processing the solution strategies for the identified planning problems,
  • the definition and validation of the simulation output,
  • participation in the development of quantum algorithms and their implementation and evaluation, and
  • the creation of a concept for the future integration of the optimisation algorithms at the industrial partner.

Further information on the work packages can be found in the specifications (Part 2 of the tender documents).

The potential of quantum computers for mobility

Our QCMobility project explores the potential of quantum computers for highly relevant and critical application problems in the field of mobility. Together with partners from industry and research, we are developing customised quantum algorithms and demonstration problems that will be implemented on the DLR QCI quantum computers.

In the QCMobility project, industrial partners and DLR institutes are jointly utilising quantum computing for various mobility applications

  • strategic and tactical planning processes in air traffic,
  • Optimisation problems in demand-responsive transport,
  • Planning and scheduling processes in rail transport,
  • Route and trajectory optimisation for highly automated/autonomous systems in maritime transport and
  • the optimisation of multidimensional logistics networks in intermodal transport.

The project results will be incorporated into a roadmap on quantum computing and mobility.