D-Wave used its CSCMP EDGE 2026 session to argue quantum optimization is commercially live, citing projects with AT&T, BASF and Pfizer. Murray Thom, vice president of quantum technology evangelism, presented a masterclass and demo on extracting value from quantum computing today, as the industry question shifts from whether quantum works to how fast it can be implemented. The source does not disclose contract values or performance metrics for the three named deployments. EDGE 2026 also features the 31st annual 3PL Study and the 37th State of Logistics Report.
According to www.thescxchange.com, D-Wave used its session at CSCMP EDGE 2026 to argue that quantum optimization has moved past the theoretical stage for supply chain and logistics teams, pointing to commercial projects with AT&T, BASF and Pfizer as evidence of measurable business value delivered today.
The session, titled “Quantum Optimization for Supply Chain Management and Logistics,” was framed around a problem the source describes plainly: networks are growing more complex and customer expectations keep rising, pushing traditional optimization methods to their limits.
Murray Thom, vice president of quantum technology evangelism at D-Wave, delivered a masterclass and live demonstration aimed at showing attendees how to extract value from quantum computing in current operations rather than in some distant roadmap phase.
Three named commercial deployments anchor the pitch
The source states that Thom shared insights from commercial projects including AT&T, BASF and Pfizer, presented as examples of how D-Wave’s quantum computers — which the company describes as powerful and energy-efficient — deliver measurable business value today.
Those three names carry the weight of the argument. Rather than resting on benchmark results or laboratory comparisons, the D-Wave case at EDGE 2026 rests on named enterprise customers in telecommunications, chemicals and pharmaceuticals — sectors where routing, scheduling and portfolio optimization problems are both large and expensive to solve badly.
The source does not disclose contract values, deployment timelines or specific performance metrics for the AT&T, BASF and Pfizer projects, so the scale of the claimed value remains unquantified in the published material.
The question shifts from feasibility to speed of implementation
According to the source, the conversation in the industry is shifting from “Can quantum work?” to “How fast can we implement it?” — a change in framing that D-Wave is using to position 2026 as the year quantum computing becomes not just viable but commercially impactful.
“Can quantum work?” — framing cited by D-Wave at CSCMP EDGE 2026, describing the question the industry is now moving past
That reframing matters for supply chain leaders weighing where to spend technology budgets. If the barrier is implementation speed rather than technical feasibility, the constraint moves to integration with existing planning and execution systems, data readiness, and the availability of teams able to formulate problems for quantum solvers.
The source presents this as D-Wave’s own characterization of the market rather than an independent assessment, and no third-party validation of the commercial impact claims is included in the published session description.
EDGE 2026 agenda spans 3PL study, logistics report and nearshoring
The D-Wave session sits within a broader CSCMP EDGE 2026 program that the source shows covering several major industry research releases and regional discussions.
- The annual Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Study, now in its 31st year, presented by Penske Logistics, NTT DATA, CSCMP and the University of Tennessee Global Supply Chain Institute, covering AI, 3PL-customer collaboration, freight fraud and geopolitical disruption.
- The 37th Annual State of Logistics Report, presented by Penske Logistics and authored by Kearney, examining trends, challenges and market forces shaping supply chains.
- A North America manufacturing and logistics session presented by Mexpress Transportation, bringing together leaders from Kearney, Ford, academia and industry to discuss nearshoring, trade policy and the upcoming USMCA review.
The North America session is set to examine Mexico’s evolving role in regional logistics networks, including cross-border operations, transportation, sourcing and investment trends, with Canadian and Mexican perspectives on what the USMCA review could mean for the region.
Taken together, the agenda places quantum optimization alongside freight fraud, geopolitical disruption and trade policy — a pairing that suggests supply chain leaders at EDGE 2026 are being asked to evaluate advanced computation against a backdrop of persistent operational and regulatory uncertainty.
Source: thescxchange.com
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
