ESL Shipping has launched a multi year research and development initiative aimed at improving fleet-level planning through advanced optimisation techniques, including early-stage exploration of quantum computing applications in maritime operations.
The project, partially funded by Business Finland, focuses on one of the most complex challenges in tramp shipping: balancing cargo flows, capacity constraints, emissions targets and commercial priorities all at once.
Named “Smart Fleet Optimisation,” the programme combines operational shipping data, mathematical optimisation models and new approaches to pricing and information sharing to better understand how emerging computing methods could enhance decision-making in real-world fleet management.
According to Kirsi Ylärinne, Environment and Sustainability Director at ESL Shipping, fleet optimisation in tramp shipping is particularly challenging because operating variables are constantly changing.
She noted that the objective of the project is to assess how far advanced optimisation methods including new computational approaches can realistically support operational planning and help reduce emissions in day-to-day shipping operations.
As part of the initiative, ESL Shipping is working in partnership with QMill to evaluate whether quantum computing techniques can be applied to complex optimisation problems using real operational datasets from the fleet.
The collaboration includes modelling, validation work and close coordination between technical specialists and business teams, ensuring that theoretical developments remain aligned with operational requirements.
Ville Kotovirta, CTO at QMill, described ESL Shipping’s use case as a particularly demanding optimisation challenge, well suited to testing hybrid approaches that combine classical computing with quantum algorithms.
He explained that integrating QMill’s quantum-classical optimisation models with ESL Shipping’s operational data can already generate practical business value today, while also preparing for greater potential as quantum computing hardware continues to mature.
This hybrid approach, which blends classical optimisation methods with quantum computing principles, is still emerging in the maritime sector and is considered a pioneering step in applied shipping analytics.
Ylärinne added that quantum computing holds long-term promise for solving highly complex optimisation problems in shipping, and that public funding support from Business Finland enables the company to explore these opportunities in a structured, operationally relevant way.
Overall, the project reflects a broader industry shift toward data-driven fleet optimisation, where advanced computing is increasingly seen as a tool not just for efficiency, but also for emissions reduction and strategic decision-making in volatile maritime markets.
