Supply Chain Finance

Logistics sector to make concrete progress using blockchain technology

In a major TKI Dinalog project, TU Delft, ABN AMRO, the SCF Community, the Port of Rotterdam, Royal FloraHolland , SmartPort and 10 other partners will set to work using blockchain technology in the logistics sector. The total scale of the project amounts to €2.2 million. This is the first time anywhere in the world that a concrete blockchain project of this standard has been launched with various partners in the logistics chain.

Blockchain technology has been on the rise all around the world in recent years. The technology, which uses an open network of databases and functions as a public, digital, distributed ‘ledger’, has a wide range of applications. In the coming two years, the project will focus on developing the contours of a new information infrastructure based on blockchain technology, uniting operational information, financial flows and contracts.

Three concrete use cases

In this project, the use of blockchain technology for logistics purposes will be concretely set up, tested and live tested. Johan Pouwelse, Project Manager and Associate Professor at TU Delft, confirms this point. ‘This project is not about discussing potential, we are actually going to put words into action’. The final result of the project is centred on delivering three concrete Use Cases: chain financing, supply financing and circular economics. TU Delft will concentrate on creating an open-source core business infrastructure that will make the blockchain suitable for mission critical usage.

Improved collaboration throughout the chain

Martijn Siebrand, Supply Chain Finance Programme Manager, identifies a wealth of opportunities for this project. ‘If you ask me, using blockchain technology for the financial routes in logistics is just the beginning. I see this as a stepping stone towards a logistics sector with improved collaboration throughout the entire chain.’

Partners

The 16-partner consortium features a balanced blend of various parties in the chain. TU Delft, Windesheim, the SCF Community, TNO, Centric, Exact, ABN AMRO, SmartPort, Royal FloraHolland, the Port of Rotterdam, FBBasic & Cirmar, BeScope Solutions, NBK, Innopay, and TransFollow together provide the force to drive this project to success. This project is complementary to the public-private initiative to establish a national research institute for Blockchain (working title: Blockchain Core Competence Center), initiated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

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