Quantum Optimization and Supply Chain Planning

Speaker: Dr. Emily Tucker, Assistant Professor in the Clemson University Industrial Engineering Department

Abstract: Many problems from supply chain and logistics can be naturally expressed as combinatorial optimization problems. Due to this problem structure, practitioners hypothesize that quantum computers may eventually lead to large gains in performance. However, a key challenge is to find a use case in this sector. On the whole, classical approaches work well, and it is currently unknown what types of logistics problems are particularly amenable to quantum-enhancement. In this talk, I will discuss our on-going research on the current state and potential of quantum in supply chain planning. I will present an overview of existing optimization formulations, the types of problems that are industrially relevant, and future directions that could lead to quantum impact.