It is working with quantum computing company D-Wave Systems on the research project.
The two companies will be anouncing their collaboration at CeBIT 2017 in Hanover, and also demonstrate a software program that optimises traffic flow on a quantum computer. In the course of this project, experts from the Volkswagen Code Lab in San Francisco and the Volkswagen Data Lab in Munich and used data from around 10,000 taxis in Beijing.
Quantum computers can solve highly complex problems many times faster than conventional supercomputers. To date, quantum computing technology has been used mainly by scientific institutes, government agencies, and in the aerospace sector.
In simplified terms, an optimisation problem considers how a specific resource (such as time, money or energy) can be used in the best possible way in a certain scenario. The complexity of the task and therefore the computing capacity required grow exponentially with the number of factors to be considered, taking conventional digital computers to their limits. Further projects with D-Wave are to follow.
“We are doing digital pioneering work. Quantum computing technology can bring tremendous progress to Volkswagen with respect to all the key IT topics of the future," said Volkswagen Group chief information officer Dr Martin Hofman.
"We are laying the foundation for the future by learning to make effective use of the strengths of a quantum computer. Our cooperation with D-Wave is a milestone on the way to the digital future of our group."
