Five organizations from around the world have joined IBM’s 2025 AI Supply Chain Initiative, a global program designed to help companies and nonprofits use artificial intelligence to make logistics, manufacturing, and infrastructure systems smarter and more sustainable.
The program pairs each organization with IBM experts and technology to test real-world applications, from optimizing port operations to mapping renewable energy systems, that aim to improve supply chain efficiency and strengthen digital infrastructure.
A recent EY study found that only 3% of supply chain leaders say their operations are mostly autonomous, even though more than a third expect to reach that goal by 2030. IBM’s initiative is built to help close that gap by giving mission-driven groups access to AI tools and hands-on guidance.
Launched in 2022 as part of IBM’s broader social innovation work, the initiative provides grants, cloud resources, and AI support to organizations tackling global challenges in logistics, agriculture, and energy. Each year, five new projects are added to the program.
The five winners
The 2025 group will focus on developing AI-powered tools that improve resilience and efficiency across supply chains worldwide.
- Al-Baha University (Saudi Arabia) is developing an AI system to coordinate cargo trucks and port equipment in real time, reducing idle time, cutting fuel use, and lowering emissions.
- The NREL Foundation (United States) will launch an AI-powered data-sharing platform called CAKE to strengthen food, energy, and water systems, starting in Indonesia and expanding across Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
- Polytechnique Montréal (Canada) is developing an AI- and quantum-based decision-making tool for Canada’s forest supply chain to improve harvest planning, yield forecasting, and sustainability.
- The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is piloting a tool to assess countries’ readiness for digital transformation and AI adoption, starting in Brazil and Mexico.
- The WRI Polsky Center for the Global Energy Transition is developing AI mapping that uses satellite imagery to detect and classify solar installations, starting in India and expanding to Kenya.
Collaboration and global reach
Each organization will go through two phases: design and development. Using IBM Garage, watsonx.ai, IBM Cloud, and geospatial tools, they’ll build and test their projects with measurable results. IBM’s partners EY and ServiceNow are also providing workshops, coaching, and technical expertise.
IBM has pledged up to $45 million over five years to support its AI Supply Chain Initiative. So far, 25 organizations have participated, benefiting roughly 2.5 million people worldwide through projects focused on sustainable agriculture, clean energy, and resilient logistics.
