Like many seaports, the Port of Hamburg faces increasing traffic congestion within the port area, often pushing the traffic network to its limits during peak times. Due to limited space in the port and lengthy planning and construction periods, increasing traffic capacity is not a viable solution. During peak hours, traffic-dependent control systems struggle to manage the flow without causing congestion. It soon became evident that traffic light-controlled intersections were the bottlenecks in Hamburg’s port traffic.
This is where the Quantum inspired Traffic Light Control project (in proof-of-concept phase called MOZART) comes in. Quantum inspired Traffic Light Control, a multi-year innovation project by the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) in cooperation with the private sector and academia, enables a comprehensive view of the traffic network and coordinated traffic light control across the network to stabilize traffic flow in the port. Using quantum-inspired ‘Digital Annealer’ technology, an integrated port traffic model, and adapted road traffic technology, real time responses to current traffic conditions can be made within seconds to reduce congestion and emissions in the port. The goal is to generate optimal signal timings in real time across the entire traffic network, guiding traffic proactively through the port. Additionally, a comprehensive traffic model as a digital twin provides an improved overview of traffic conditions and potential improvements in traffic management.
The project began after a multi-year proof-of-concept phase in 2022 and was successfully completed in October 2024 after application in a test area within a heavy traffic subnetwork of the port. Discussions on scaling and optimizing operations towards full implementation of the technology in the Port of Hamburg’s traffic management are planned for the next five years (2025-2030).
The Quantum inspired Traffic Light Control project is the first project to present a use case of advanced Quantum Annealing technology in port traffic management and offers initial insights from the application phase of the Digital Annealer for optimizing traffic flows. Quantum inspired Traffic Light Control enhances the capacity of existing infrastructure and minimizes stop-and-go traffic through fully optimized traffic light control, thereby reducing emissions.