Existing and Potential Use Cases for Blockchain in Public Procurement

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to assess the possibility of using blockchain technology in the realm of public procurement within the EU, particularly in connection with the award of public contracts. In this context, blockchain is used as an umbrella term covering IT technologies and cryptographic solutions used to generate consensus on a distributed ledger. The article will present three real use cases for public procurement in Spain, Colombia and Peru. It will also posit two specific areas of EU public procurement practice that might benefit from the use of blockchain technology – the area of data management and accessibility and in situations of clear lack of confidence in public powers.