Blockchain Papers

Dena Mahmudnia, Mehrdad Arashpour, Rebecca Yang

No abstract is available for this record.

Hichem Mrabet, Adeeb Alhomoud, Abderrazak Jemai, Damien Trentesaux

In this paper, a layered architecture incorporating Blockchain technology (BCT) and Machine Learning (ML) is proposed in the context of the Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT) for smart manufacturing applications. The proposed architecture is composed of five layers covering sensing, network/protocol, transport enforced with BCT components, application and advanced services (i.e., BCT data, ML and cloud) layers. BCT enables gathering sensor access control information, while ML brings its effectivity in attack detection such as DoS (Denial of Service), DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service), injection, man in the middle (MitM), brute force, cross-site scripting (XSS) and scanning attacks by employing classifiers differentiating between normal and malicious activity. The design of our architecture is compared to similar ones in the literature to point out potential benefits. Experiments, based on the IIoT dataset, have been conducted to evaluate our contribution, using four metrics: Accuracy, Precision, Sensitivity and Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC). Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest, Naive Bayes, AdaBoost and Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers are evaluated regarding these four metrics. Even if more experiments are required, it is illustrated that the proposed architecture can reduce significantly the number of DDoS, injection, brute force and XSS attacks and threats within an advanced framework for sensor access control in IIoT networks based on a smart contract along with ML classifiers.

Sabina Baraković, Jasmina Baraković Husić

Digital transformation is unstoppable and ongoing process that affects all segments of our everyday lives such as healthcare, banking and finance systems, public administration, or postal and logistics systems. One of the main engines of this process, among many, is the use of cryptocurrencies. Both of these concepts are usually addressed from the firm perspective, but they should be considered from the individual’s perspective as well. Cryptocurrencies recently face increased cyber security threats, thereby affecting the digital transformation and posing additional challenges to it. Therefore, this paper gives a brief overview of security threats and challenges characteristic for cryptocurrency technology today and discusses what can be expected tomorrow. We provide insight how these challenges can affect digital transformation process and propose ways to increase the level of protection for both individuals and organizations.

B Kohl, M. Krüger, Tobias Dietl, Michael Lechner · 8 authors

Abstract Digitalization in the metal forming industry needs to be improved to achieve the goals set by Industrie 4.0. Distributed-Ledger-Technology (DLT) has been identified as a promising foundation for tackling the underlying problem of consistent information exchange. DLT-based solutions have already been developed, but none explicitly covers the roll forming use-case. This paper presents a Hyperledger-Fabric-based blockchain network to fill this research gap. This network is specifically designed for the roll forming industry, while still aiming to meet general information exchange requirements. The roll forming use-case is divided into the material supply chain and a design/simulation workflow. Participants and parameters in these two data transfer chains have been validated with the help of industry experts. Running the conceptualized network on an on-premise server has allowed for a detailed evaluation. Feedback provided by experts of the roll forming industry shows the potential of the presented network. Furthermore, the presented solution covers requirements often neglected by existing approaches like large data handling, compatibility to existing interfaces, secure communication, and access rights definition. In summary, this paper provides a pioneering implementation and evaluation of a DLT-based solution for the roll forming industry and, therefore, a foundation for the next steps towards Industrie 4.0.

Georgios Diamantopoulos, Nikos Tziritas, Rami Bahsoon, Georgios Theodoropoulos

Blockchain systems are challenged by the so-called Trilemma tradeoff: decentralization, scalability and security. Infrastructure and node configuration, choice of the Consensus Protocol and complexity of the application transactions are cited amongst the factors that affect the tradeoffs balance. Given that Blockchains are complex, dynamic dynamic systems, a dynamic approach to their management and reconfiguration at runtime is deemed necessary to reflect the changes in the state of the infrastructure and application. This paper introduces the utilisation of Digital Twins for this purpose. The novel contribution of the paper is design of a framework and conceptual architecture of a Digital Twin that can assist in maintaining the Trilemma tradeoffs of time critical systems. The proposed Digital Twin is illustrated via an innovative approach to dynamic selection of Consensus Protocols. Simulations results show that the proposed framework can effectively support the dynamic adaptation and management of the Blockchain

Hamed Nozari, Javid Ghahremani-Nahr

In addition to being a revolutionary technology for all industries, the Internet of Things; has also shown its potential in processes such as supply chain. With the advancement of technology and the emergence of the new era, the challenges of the traditional supply chain that follows a path from top to bottom (suppliers of raw materials to final consumers) are revealed. Also, due to environmental issues and the increasing speed of the changes in the needs of customers in various industries, including the retail industry, which has undergone many changes with the emergence of innovation, the entire path of the supply chain requires the implementation of strategies such as agile and green supply chains and achieving smartness. Therefore, emerging technologies such as The Internet of Things play a significant role in the agility and greenness of the entire retail supply chain. The presence of blockchain technology with decentralized data archiving in supply chain processes based on the Internet of Things guarantees the security of big data and helps in optimal data performance. This helps the agility of supply chain processes. In this chapter, dimensions, components, and key indicators effective in the implementation of an agile smart supply chain based on transformative technologies are examined.

Dae Hyun Jung

The reasons why supply chain management (SCM) needs blockchain technology include simplification of transaction procedures, time and cost reductions, and reliability improvement. This study emphasizes the necessity of introducing a blockchain-based joint logistics system to strengthen the competency of medical SCM and proposes a healthcare supply chain management (HSCM) competency measurement item through an analytic hierarchy process. The variables needed for using blockchain-based joint logistics are the performance expectations, effort expectations, promotion conditions, and social impact of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model, as well as the HSCM competency results in increased reliability and transparency, enhanced SCM, and enhanced scalability. By analyzing the importance of securing reliability based on blockchain technology in the establishment of a supply chain network for HSCM competency, we reveal that joint logistics can be achieved, and synergistic effects can be created by implementing the integrated database to secure HSCM competency. Strengthening partnerships, such as joint logistics, will eventually lead to HSCM competency. In particular, HSCM should seek ways to upgrade its competitive capabilities through big data analysis based on the establishment of a joint logistics system.

Nada A. Nabeeh, Mohamed Abdel‐Basset, Abduallah Gamal, Victor Chang

A blockchain, as a form of distributed ledger technology, represents the unanimity of replication, synchronization, and sharing of data among various geographical sites. Blockchains have demonstrated impressive and effective applications throughout many aspects of the business. Blockchain technology can lead to the advent of the construction of Digital Twins (DTs). DTs involve the real representation of physical devices digitally as a virtual representation of both elements and dynamics prior to the building and deployment of actual devices. DT products can be built using blockchain-based technology in order to achieve sustainability. The technology of DT is one of the emerging novel technologies of Industry 4.0, along with artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). Therefore, the present study adopts intelligent decision-making techniques to conduct a biased analysis of the drivers, barriers, and risks involved in applying blockchain technologies to the sustainable production of DTs. The proposed model illustrates the use of neutrosophic theory to handle the uncertain conditions of real-life situations and the indeterminate cases evolved in decision-makers’ judgments and perspectives. In addition, the model applies the analysis of Multi-criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods through the use of ordered weighted averaging (OWA) and the Technique of Order Preference Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to achieve optimal rankings for DT production providers based on consistent weighted decision-maker’s judgments in order to maintain and to assure sustainability. An empirical study is applied to the uncertain environment to aid decision-makers in achieving ideal decisions for DT providers with respect to various DT challenges, promoting sustainability and determining the best service providers. The Monte Carlo simulation method is used to illustrate, predict, and forecast the importance of the weights of decision-makers’ judgments as well as the direct impact on the sustainability of DT production.

Ferdınando Chıacchıo, Diego D’Urso, Ludovıca Marıa Olıverı, Alessia Spitaleri · 6 authors

Industry 4.0 is leading society into a new era characterized by smart communications between consumers and enterprises. While entertainment and fashion brands aim to consolidate their identities, increasing consumers’ participation in new, engaging, and immersive experiences, other industry sectors such as food and drugs are called to adhere to stricter regulations to increase the quality assurance of their processes. The pharmaceutical industry is inherently one of the most regulated sectors because the safety, integrity, and conservation along the distribution network are the main pillars for guaranteeing the efficacy of drugs for the general public. Favoured by Industry 4.0 incentives, pharmaceutical serialization has become a must in the last few years and is now in place worldwide. In this paper, a decentralized solution based on non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which can improve the track and trace capability of the standard serialization process, is presented. Non-fungible tokens are minted in the blockchain and inherit all the advantages provided by this technology. As blockchain technology is becoming more and more popular, adoption of track and trace will increase tremendously. Focusing on the pharmaceutical industry’s use of track and trace, this paper presents the concepts and architectural elements necessary to support the non-fungible token solution, culminating in the presentation of a use case with a prototypical application.

Barbara Balon, Krzysztof Kalinowski, Iwona Paprocka

Today, enterprises are multitasking, with branches set up all over the world. Virtual enterprises are created to make better use of existing resources, improve the quality of manufactured products and agilely respond to customer requirements. In order to fully meet the requirements of enterprises, a decentralized structure of data registration and transmission and authentication of network users is needed. The information collected via the Internet of Things and flowing based on the properties of the Blockchain (BC) network facilitates enterprise resource planning and enables the integration of internal processes, especially when planning, changing the current or introducing new production. The aim of this paper is to present the concept of using a common data register in BC technology, which enables a number of applications related to the automation of the process of selecting human resources for production tasks. The paper presents an analysis of the problem related to the integration of production scheduling and human resource management with blockchain technology. Also presented is a literature analysis on scheduling, blockchain technology and data storage in the blockchain network. The analysis presents how the blockchain network works and how exactly it fits into production engineering with its advantages and disadvantages. An employee evaluation method based on the resource work history and determination of its current value within individual competencies is presented. The integration of production scheduling and human resource management with the use of BC technology is simulated. The most important advantage is faster and more effective planning thanks to the elimination of all intermediary channels in the flow of production transactions. Production tasks are balanced with production capacity in entities belonging to the virtual enterprise in parallel. For future research, different online planning algorithms will be developed and compared to achieve consortium members' consensus on production and human resources planning.

Hasan Yetış, Mehmet Karaköse, Nursena Bayğın

Customers want to experience unique products that suit their individual preferences. Therefore, companies are looking for ways to produce personalized products by moving away from traditional production models. Technologies such as blockchain, IoT, and cyber-physical systems have an important role in adopting the personal custom production model. In this study, a reliable and optimized mass customization framework is proposed. The framework has three main contributions. First, the use of Blockchain provides advantages in terms of data persistence, traceability, transparency, and reliability. Second, the production process is optimized by using artificial intelligence methods. A decision support mechanism is proposed for customers who will place orders. As a combination of the contributions, the proposed mass customization framework covers the processes from ordering to production. In addition to contributions such as facilitated customization and reliable data, energy saving in production is increased with the proposed framework. Simulation results show that energy savings between 10 and 47% are achieved.

ManMohan S. Sodhi, Zahra Seyedghorban, Hossein Tahernejad, Danny Samson

In this paper, we explore why users’ experiences with emerging supply chain technologies comprise inflated expectations followed by disappointment in the early stages of adoption, as per the Gartner Hype Cycle. We used “affordance theory” to study how managers perceive emerging technologies to explain their adoption experience. Affordance theory indicates that perceived benefits—and goals and constraints—depend on the interaction between technology and the users, not on the technology alone. First, we used the literature for two purposes: first, to obtain characteristics of blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI) as emerging technologies; and second, to itemize generic goals, affordances, and constraints in adopting any supply chain technology. Next, we asked 400+ supply chain managers to select those affordances, constraints, and goals that they viewed as pertinent to their organizations’ supply chains for whichever of these three technologies they were implementing. Finally, we compared the responses across technologies for individual respondents (who selected more than one technology) and within the pool of respondents. We found that respondents who selected more than one technology made distinct selections individually for the different technologies relevant to them. The pooled responses across all respondents, however, prioritized the aggregated goals, affordances, and constraints in the same way, regardless of the technology, the organization, or the network features of the supply chain. Overall, it appears that the characteristics of the technology do not inform user expectations at the early stages of adoption. This initial disconnect—between characteristics and expectation—may explain the “inflated expectations” followed by the early “trough of disappointment” with emerging technologies in the Gartner Hype Cycle, as users focus on obtaining the same benefits for the supply chain from any new emerging technology. Only subsequent shared experiences can lead to the long “slope of enlightenment.”

Nnamdi Cyprian Nwasuka, Uchechukwu Nwaiwu, Nwadinobi Chibundo Princewill

Industry 4.0 is a new level of value chain organization and management , which is likely to change the way processes, supply chain, and business models operate , which is why many companies are evaluating the concepts and applications synthesized under the term Industry 4.0 to develop their own business strategies, which under this new industrial disruption, which is founded on some basic principles such as interoperability, virtualization, decentralization, real-time capabilities, service orientation, etc., and where there are, for example, smart factories capable of creating virtual copies of the physical world, monitoring physical processes, self-managing, optimizing, and making decisions autonomously in real time. The need to integrate processes within enterprise between ERP and shop-floor level and also across enterprise boundaries for optimal and collaborative environment, to highlight the importance of real time information access in order to make decision and to show the importance of predictive maintenance in a production environment prompted this research. Information obtained from industries were analyzed. The results however, showed that industry 4.0, if fully adopted would increase production of goods and services and also save time consumed during production stage.

Sabah Suhail, Saif Ur Rehman Malik, Raja Jurdak, Rasheed Hussain · 6 authors

The complexity of cyberattacks in Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) calls for a mechanism that can evaluate critical infrastructures’ operational behaviour and security without affecting the operation of live systems. In this regard, Digital Twins (DTs) provide actionable insights through monitoring, simulating, predicting, and optimizing the state of CPSs. Through the use cases, including system testing and training, detecting system misconfigurations, and security testing, DTs strengthen the security of CPSs throughout the product lifecycle. However, such benefits of DTs depend on an assumption about data integrity and security. Data trustworthiness becomes more critical while integrating multiple components among different DTs owned by various stakeholders to provide an aggregated view of the complex physical system. This article envisions a blockchain-based DT framework as Trusted Twins for Securing Cyber-Physical Systems (TTS-CPS). With the automotive industry as a CPS use case, we demonstrate the viability of the TTS-CPS framework through a proof of concept. To utilize reliable system specification data for building the process knowledge of DTs, we ensure the trustworthiness of data-generating sources through Integrity Checking Mechanisms (ICMs). Additionally, Safety and Security (S&S) rules evaluated during simulation are stored and retrieved from the blockchain, thereby establishing more understanding and confidence in the decisions made by the underlying systems. Finally, we perform formal verification of the TTS-CPS.

Radhya Sahal, Saeed Hamood Alsamhi, Kenneth N. Brown, Donna O’Shea · 5 authors

Emerging technologies such as digital twins, blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) play a vital role in driving the industrial revolution in all domains, including the healthcare sector. As a result of COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, there is a significant need for medical cyber-physical systems to adopt these emerging technologies to combat COVID-19 paramedic crisis. Also, acquiring secure real-time data exchange and analysis across multiple participants is essential to support the efforts against COVID-19. Therefore, we have introduced a blockchain-based collaborative digital twins framework for decentralized epidemic alerting to combat COVID-19 and any future pandemics. The framework has been proposed to bring together the existing advanced technologies (i.e., blockchain, digital twins, and AI) and then provide a solution to decentralize epidemic alerting to combat COVID-19 outbreaks. Also, we have described how the conceptual framework can be applied in the decentralized COVID-19 pandemic alerting use case.

Tomasz Dudek, Tygran Dzhuguryan, Bogusz Wiśnicki, Kamil Pędziwiatr

This study focuses on management ways within a city multi-floor manufacturing cluster (MFMC). The application of MFMC in megapolises is closely related to the problem of urban spatial development and the problem of matching transport and logistics services. The operation of the MFMC depends on the efficiency of production and transport management considering technical, economic, end environmental factors. Therefore, conditions affecting decision-making in the field of production planning by MFMCs and accompanying transports within the agglomeration area with the use of the production-service platform were presented. Assumptions were created for the decision model, allowing for the selection of partners within the MFMC to execute the production order. A simplified decision model using the Hungarian algorithm was proposed, which was verified with the use of test data. The model is universal for material flow analysis and is an assessments basis for smart sustainable supply chain decision-making and planning. Despite the narrowing of the scope of the analysis and the simplifications applied, the presented model using the Hungarian algorithm demonstrated its potential to solve the problem of partner selection for the execution of the contract by MFMC.

Han Gao, Binlong Zhong

Abstract Code compliance checking of building designs is an essential task during the design and construction process, this process is time-consuming and laborious, and there is a risk of human manipulation, collusion and tampering with the results during the process. Existing BIM automated compliance checking technologies can reduce human errors and automatically output drawing review reports in some domains. But there are still few provisions that can be automatically reviewed, and most of the provisions still require human intervention. This research proposes a blockchain-based framework for managing both automated and manual compliance review processes in a BIM environment. The framework is developed to help improve the traceability and transparency of the compliance review process in the BIM environment. The framework includes on-chain and off-chain solutions for addressing the management issues in the code checking process. The prospects of the solution, challenges in implementation and future research directions were discussed.

Cristina Ramírez Meneses, Alix E. Rojas, Alexander García Dávalos

Today, the role of digital technologies represents a competitive advantage in the logistics of any supply chain and, at the same time, a great challenge for organizations, especially for SMEs and micro-enterprises, which are a fundamental part of the national economy. The development of this study is part of a larger project that has to do with the design of a cold chain inventory management model through IoT, Blockchain, and Cloud Computing for SMEs in Colombia. The work carried out in this first part consisted of a proof of concept (POC) to verify the technical feasibility of Industry 4.0 technologies in the management of goods in the last-mile urban distribution process in the cold chain. We assemble sensors in a portable device to measure control variables in the cold chain, develop the software that supports it, and carry out tests in a controlled setting. The results validate the expected functionality of the prototype but, above all, disclose conditions that must be considered. Finally, we discuss the applicability of the proposed device in the practical world and the future challenges for the subsequent phases.

Leyla Moctar M’Baba, Mohamed Sellami, Walid Gaaloul, Mohamedade Farouk Nanne

Considerable progress was forcasted for collaborative business processes with the rise of blockchain programmable platforms. One of the saliant promises was auditable traces of business process execution, but practically that has posed challenges specially with regard to blockchain logs’ structure who turned out to be inadequate for process mining techniques. Approaches to answer this issue have started to emerge in the literature, some focusing on the creation process of event logs and others dealing with their retrieval from the blockchain. This work outlines the generic steps required to solve these challenges and analyzes findings in these approaches with a consideration for efficiency and future research directions.

Anastasiia Gurzhii, A.K.M. Najmul Islam, AKM Bahalul Haque, Venkata Marella

Digital transformation is an inevitable trend that impacts all industries, and blockchain is one technology that drives it along with other emerging technologies. This paper conducts a systematic literature review (SLR) on how blockchain enables digital transformation. We analyzed 41 articles to identify the current state, clarify research gaps, and highlight future research agendas. The results reveal that blockchain is a promising technology that has great potential and can offer several opportunities for various companies. Collected articles contain evidence regarding challenges and barriers, as well as potential benefits of blockchain in relation to digital transformation. Through the detailed assessment of the chosen studies, a theoretical framework for blockchain enabled digital transformation has been developed. We highlight open issues that can be handled in future research to overcome barriers and address the challenges concerning blockchain adoption.

Wattana Viriyasitavat, Li Da Xu, Dusit Niyato, Zhuming Bi · 5 authors

Blockchain (BC), as an emerging technology, is revolutionizingBusiness Process Management(BPM) in multiple ways. The main adoption is to serve as a trusted infrastructure to guarantee the trust of collaborations among multiple partners in trustless environments. Especially, BC enables trust of information by usingDistributed Ledger Technology(DLT). With the power ofsmart contracts, BC enforces the obligations of counterparties that transact in abusiness process(BP) by programming the contracts as transactions. This paper aims to study the state-of-the-art of BC technologies by (1) exploring its applications in BPM with the focus on how BC provides the trust of BPs in their lifecycles; (2) identifying the relations of BPM as the need and BC as the solution with the assessment towards BPM characteristics; (3) discussing the up-to-date progresses of critical BC in BPM; (4) identifying the challenges and research directions for future advancement in the domain. The main conclusions of our comprehensive review are (1) the study of adopting BC in BPM has attracted a great deal of attention that has been evidenced by a rapidly growing number of relevant articles. (2) The paradigms of BPM overInternet of Things(IoT) have been shifted frompersistenttotransient, fromstatic to dynamic, and fromcentralized to decentralized, and new enabling technologies are highly demanded to fulfill some emergingfunctional requirements(FRs) at the stages ofdesign, configuration, diagnosis, andevaluationof BPs in their lifecycles. (3) BC has been intensively studied and proven as a promising solution to assure the trustiness for both of business processes and their executions in decentralized BPM. (4) Most of the reported BC applications are at their primary stages, future research efforts are needed to meet the technical challenges involved ininteroperation, determination of trusted entities, confirmation of time-sensitive execution, andsupport of irreversibility.

Sung‐Jung Hsiao, Wen‐Tsai Sung

This paper proposes a blockchain-based supply chain information operation method to solve the current shortage of business information sharing in the supply chain. These approaches include the idea of blockchain application to realize the sharing of supply chain information, the supply chain architecture of production enterprises based on blockchain, and the hierarchical model of supply chain information flow based on blockchain. This paper proposes the information block recording method of internal and external data sources in the supply chain, including the composition structure and the analysis of the multisource data inside and outside the supply chain. In addition, the multisource data information block recording method is also proposed. Building a blockchain-based supply chain system can improve the integration and reconstruction capabilities of the supply chain. The information recording of the internal data of the supply chain and the external related multisource data in the block can improve the learnability of the supply chain. The internal and external information block connection of the supply chain system is the further integration and reconstruction of the supply chain information resources in the blockchain system. The information storage and access control of the blockchain-based supply chain is an information security guarantee system in the supply chain information sharing environment. Through the method of this study, the system can form a business architecture system based on blockchain-based supply chain information sharing.

Abdelhak Belhi, Houssem Gasmi, Assam Hammi, Abdelaziz Bouras · 6 authors

No abstract is available for this record.

Tapan Behera

No abstract is available for this record.