In what order does a package delivery service route its deliveries to minimize fuel consumption and time? This type of problem – known as a combinatorial optimization problem – lies at the heart of many challenges in science, technology, and business. A new German-Taiwanese research project involving TU Darmstadt and National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) aims to solve such problems in the future using specialized computer chips, making the process significantly faster and more energy-efficient than has been possible to date. TU Darmstadt is receiving nearly 1.2 million euros in funding for this project from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.