Blockchain Papers

Weisheng Lu, Xiao Li, Fan Xue, Rui Zhao · 6 authors

No abstract is available for this record.

Shiyuan Xu, Xue Chen, Yunhua He

Purchases of electric vehicles have been increasing in recent years. These vehicles differ from traditional fossil-fuel-based vehicles especially in the time consumed to keep them running. Electric-Vehicle-charging Service Providers (EVSPs) must arrange reasonable charging times for users in advance. Most EVSP services are based on third-party platforms, but reliance on third-party platforms creates a lack of security, leaving users vulnerable to attacks and user-privacy leakages. In this paper, we propose an anonymous blockchain-based system for charging-connected electric vehicles that eliminates third-party platforms through blockchain technology and the establishment of a multi-party security system between electric vehicles and EVSPs. In our proposed system, digital certificates are obtained by completing distributed Public Key Infrastructure (distributed-PKI) identity registration, with the user registration kept separate from the verification process, which eliminates dependence on the EVSP for information security. In the verification process, we adopt smart contracts to solve problems associated with centralized verification and opaque services. Furthermore, we utilize zero-knowledge proof and ring-signature superposition to realize completely anonymous verification, which ensures undeniability and unforgeability with no detriment to anonymity. The evaluation results show that the user anonymity, information authenticity, and system security of our system fulfill the necessary requirements.

Chiara Magrini, Jana Nicolas, Holger Berg, A. Bellini · 8 authors

Nowadays, high expectations are set for a digitally enabled circular economy (CE), to enhance resource efficiency. Tracing, tracking, and storing information is most important for this. In this paper, the application of Internet of Things (IoT) and Distributed Ledger Technology (Blockchain) are hence discussed by presenting the case of professional Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) in Italy. Within the context of CE, prevention of electronic waste (WEEE) is extremely relevant as it is a fast-growing waste stream, and the products contain environmentally damaging substances as well as valuable and rare materials. The use of a proper combination of IoT and blockchain can help the producers to keep control on products until EEE end-of-life, while promoting CE strategies and supporting decision-making. Based on the outcomes of five interviews conducted in 2019 to companies of the EEE sector, potential improvements in the EEE end-of-use management are discussed. After providing the definition of requirements for both the technical solution and its testing are provided, three solution variations and the related business models are created and presented, as well as considerations on their environmental and economic impacts. The study shows how digital technologies can support the appropriate and circular management of EEE products and WEEE.

Rajvir Kaur

The emergence of Blockchain technology as Bitcoin, has completely transformed the process of exchanging financial capital, without an intermediary. The huge success of Bitcoin contributed to the rapid advancement and increase interest of the public in Blockchain technology. As people started digging more into the technology underlying Bitcoin, they started realizing that the blockchain capacity is not just confined to cryptocurrencies. It has the potential to impact a much wider domain of applications to solve many of the issues and challenges in real-world scenarios. One such scenario is product traceability in food supply chain (FSC). Traditional traceability systems are vulnerable to various issues and challenges such as lack of data transparency, confidentiality, centralized data storage, mistrust between the parties, product delay which needs to be addressed. This paper proposes a solution for product traceability in FSCs using Hyperledger Fabric (HLF), a permissioned blockchain framework. We keep a track of food products journey from source to destination. All the information associated with food products shipment recorded securely and immutably in a distributed ledger, which is sync and verified with all the participants in the FSC in real-time but can be accessed by the authorized participants only. For managing access rights to the blockchain network resources, access control rules are defined by embedding them in smart contracts. Moreover, REST API allows clients to interact with blockchain network is secured using, OAuth 2.0 authentication strategy. Finally, we evaluate the performance of the designed blockchain-based system for FSC.

G.T.S. Ho, Yuk Ming Tang, Kun Yat Tsang, Valerie Tang · 5 authors

No abstract is available for this record.

Cho Nwe Zin Latt, Sandi Rahmadika, Kyung-Hyune Rhee

The Myanmar rice cycle’s existing system is still relying on a third party to manage every rice data information from several organizations. It is inconvenient to supervise simultaneously due to the unreliability of information provided by organizations. Thus, the rice cycle’s original data is challenging to be utterly trusted since irresponsible parties can manipulate the current state of information. Moreover, the applied system does not preserve a proper incentive for the involved parties. In this paper, we leverage the Ethereum blockchain to be adopted to tackle the aforementioned issues. The main objective is to build trust between parties in the Myanmar rice cycle system. Our proposed scheme allows customers to check and trace information about the rice cycle information without worrying about the integrity of the data. Furthermore, the authorized parties are also rewarded by the government through Ethereum smart contract features. Eventually, our scheme achieves traceability in the rice chain system and leads to the complete digitization and automation of the rice cycle information.

Filipe Calvão, Matthew Archer

Digital data — including technologically-mediated data generated by blockchain-enabled traceability — is performing an increasingly integral role in extractive operations, but scarce attention has been paid to the structuring effect of these digital technologies or the socio-economic spatiality of data-driven mining operations. Drawing on extensive qualitative research (interviews, participant observation, and two sets of survey data among actors relevant to these mineral supply chains), this article advances the notion of “digital extraction” to describe the collection, analysis, and instrumentalization of digital data generated under the banner of blockchain-based due diligence, chain of custody certifications, and various transparency mechanisms, situated alongside and in support of mineral extraction. The article mobilizes concepts from political geography and political ecology to argue that digital technologies of traceability in extractive processes potentially create new forms of control and exclusion or exacerbate existing social, political, and territorial dispossession through asymmetric relations of power and knowledge in mineral supply chains. Despite industry efforts to make mineral supply chains more sustainable by resorting to digital certification and traceability, the strategic uses of uncertainty, ignorance, and ambiguity undergirding blockchain-enabled traceability systems fail to challenge existing inequalities in resource use and access or fulfill the promise of transparency and accountability.

João C. Ferreira, Catarina Ferreira da Silva, Jose P. Martins

We present a suitable approach to address the electric vehicle charging roaming problem (e-roaming). Blockchain technologies are applied to support the identity management process of users charging their vehicles and to record energy transactions securely. At the same time, off-chain cloud-based storage is used to record the transaction details. A user wallet settled on a mobile application stores user verified credentials; a backend application in the vehicle charging station validates the user credentials to authorize the energy transaction. The current model can be applied to similar contexts where the user may be required to keep several credentials from different providers to authenticate digital transactions.

Abdelghani Bekrar, Abdessamad Ait El Cadi, Raca Todosijević, Joseph Sarkis

The circular economy is gaining in importance globally and locally. The COVID-19 crisis, as an exceptional event, showed the limits and the fragility of supply chains, with circular economy practices as a potential solution during and post-COVID. Reverse logistics (RL) is an important dimension of the circular economy which allows management of economic, social, and environmental challenges. Transportation is needed for RL to effectively operate, but research study on this topic has been relatively limited. New digitalization opportunities can enhance transportation and RL, and therefore further enhance the circular economy. This paper proposes to review practical research and concerns at the nexus of transportation, RL, and blockchain as a digitalizing technology. The potential benefits of blockchain technology through example use cases on various aspects of RL and transportation activities are presented. This integration and applications are evaluated using various capability facets of blockchain technology, particularly as an immutable and reliable ledger, a tracking service, a smart contract utility, as marketplace support, and as tokenization and incentivization. We also briefly introduce the physical internet concept within this context. The physical internet paradigm proposed last decade, promises to also disrupt the blockchain, transportation, and RL nexus. We include potential research directions and managerial implications across the blockchain, transportation, and RL nexus.

Raji Ajwani-Ramchandani, Sandra Figueira, Rui Torres de Oliveira, Shishir Kumar Jha

No abstract is available for this record.

Éric Ballot, Benoît Montreuil, Zach G. Zacharia

The Physical Internet paradigm opens a new way to describe and design how logistics organizations can work, with many managerial, engineering, and economical implications on supply chain performance, including sustainability and resilience. The Physical Internet, as its name suggests, builds on a metaphor from the network of computers networks: the (Digital) Internet. Described in several papers and book chapters (Montreuil 2011; Sarraj et al. 2012; Montreuil et al., 2013; Ballot et al. 2014), its core concept is the universal interconnection of logistics services and networks. To provide an introduction to this special topic forum, we first discuss the origin of the term Physical Internet. Second, we assess the current status of research and provide a literature review. Third, we showcase key PI issues and research challenges and we finish with a brief introduction of the papers that were selected for this special forum. The Physical Internet is inspired by the principles of the Digital Internet, so it is not a mere copy-and-paste of its constituents such as the transmission control and Internet protocols (TCP/IP). This is crucial as there are major differences between data packets on the digital side and parcels and freight on the physical side, and also major differences at the organization levels. The Physical Internet is also by definition different from the Internet of Things (IoT) defined by the connection of physical objects to the Digital Internet. This said, the IoT can be an enabler of the Physical Internet by increasing visibility and control of objects beyond a company’s information systems. The Physical Internet is about interconnecting the world’s logistic networks and is thus defining a new opportunity for supply chain design and operations, enabling seamless open asset sharing and flow consolidation, fulfilling society’s demand for physical objects with an order-of-magnitude better efficiency and sustainability, thanks to improved economies of scale and scope. Physical Internet success stems from interconnecting logistics actors on multiple layers, such as physical, digital, operational, transactional, and legal. Ultimately, the Physical Internet will enable universal interconnectivity with any organization, anytime and anywhere. This is a disruption of the mostly service or customer dedicated logistic networks. At supply chain design and management levels, the Physical Internet opens the way to completely new interconnected operations and business models with a clear goal to improve sustainability in a broad sense. For example, PI implies a redesign of freight transportation, with gradual shift to interconnected transportation. At the basic level, the PI interface will simplify switching between transport carriers (e.g., trailers, railcars) and transport containers. The containers will be moving in a quasi-continuous flow, without driving time limitations or vehicle recharging constraints, and with a continuous tracking of performance and liability to ensure the highest level of service and trust. The impact of the use of PI interfaces for transport containerization on handling and efficiency is well described (Levison, 2016). At a secondary level, PI redesign will improve shipment confidentiality and modular handling containers will improve intercarrier exchanges performed at multiparty sorting and crossdocking hubs, enabling a higher critical mass of flows between hubs, and therefore offer higher transport frequency and higher levels of services (Montreuil et al., 2016). Based on actual data from the consumer goods supply chain, an early simulation-based assessment study of the Physical Internet potential revealed that interconnected transportation enabled decrease of 15% in traveled km, an increase of 33% fill rate, and a decrease of 60% CO2 emissions (Sarraj et. al 2014). A similar transformational shift toward interconnected distribution is achievable by applying Physical Internet concepts to the dynamic smart deployment of goods in an open network of warehouses, distribution centers, and fulfillment centers. Early optimization and simulation-based assessment studies of interconnected distribution revealed significant improvement in efficiency (30% order of magnitude), responsiveness, resilience, and security, through a dynamic network approach securing supplies without duplication of safety stocks and fast fulfillment in line with market expectations (Sohrabi et al. 2016; Yang et al. 2017). The impact of COVID-19 has put a spotlight on such works for all sectors and not limited at the company level like previous analyses (Simchi-Levi et al., 2014). As a new paradigm, the Physical Internet induces changes in logistics organizations and in supply chain applications, but it is also evolving based on trends and supported by new and future research. The Digital Internet was also quite an original paradigm in organizations. Based on a set of protocols, not ISO standards, it was mainly developed by researchers with an associative, thus private governance and gradually adopted by the industry at large, toward its current extensive use across all societal and economic realms. The Digital Internet burst was a disruption compared with the classical interconnection rules already in place between telecom companies in charge of communication in a highly regulated environment. In general companies, and especially the services providers and network infrastructure operators, found in digital Internet concepts, principles, and protocols, notably TCP/IP, the technical solutions needed to settle new businesses with models such as transit contracts and peering bilateral agreements. In short, the Digital Internet brought three main components: a set of protocols independent of technologies, a business framework, and a mostly state-independent governance body. Logistics organizations have different origins. Among these, one is very similar to telecom: the postal services already interconnected under the Universal Postal Union regulations since the end of the nineteen century (https://www.upu.int/en/Home/). This organization still operates but is highly dependent on state-owned operators, sometimes hostage to political stakes, and it has offered few innovations in the last few decades. The other activities remain in the hands of logistics service providers with limited regulations and a continuous flow of innovations in services. To illustrate what PI can provide to the logistic sector, it is useful to consider the same three main interconnection components as previously discussed. From a technical point of view, standardization of tools and processes are not well adopted in the logistics sector. Notable exceptions are the maritime containers on the physical level and incoterms on the transactional level. There is a set of standardized dimensions for cardboard boxes [ISO 3394:2012] yet major players use their own designs. Even for pallets, there exist many standardized sizes, not to mention materials and strengths. The same goes for electronic data exchange (EDI), as messages are standardized but all companies use them in different ways, with minimal intercompany compatibility. The lack of universally adopted tools and processes is a strong barrier against shared solutions and a more efficient logistics process. From a business point of view, a classical approach to develop a logistics business is the expansion of a company by acquiring or integrating competitors in other territories or with specific complementary services. This approach is still at play between logisticians (Carbone and Stone, 2005) and also in the e-commerce sector with companies seeking the integration of logistics companies to maximize their value chain. With the integration, the working methods, the tools, and the codes are defined for the integrating company’s organization which can thus potentially achieve a high degree of consistency, but which remains limited to each such company. Despite the advantages of integration provided by economies of scale and scope, it is limited by investment capacity and antitrust regulations. The second classical approach to develop a logistics business is through the market. Contracting or subcontracting is important in logistics markets, notably for storage, trucking, and last-mile delivery. In most cases, each contract specifies its own set of terms, conditions, tools, and processes. This approach is also very dynamic with the proliferation of marketplaces to ease subcontracting at a larger scale. Between market and integration, a third approach has grown in the last few years, based on collaborative solutions such as alliances, traffic exchange agreements, and pooling (Cruijssen et al. 2007). This approach is the most similar to the Physical Internet paradigm. It seeks to improve the performance beyond the classical boundaries of firms by sharing resources and operations, but with less uncertainties associated with pure market transactions. However, such collaborative organizations, despite some merits, are limited to a few participants and are quite hard to generalize so far. To avoid any misunderstanding, the interconnected approach should not be positioned between the classical organizational approaches to improve logistics performance. It is not a new collaborative organization that would fall between market and integration in a transaction cost framework (Coase 1937). It is a set of protocols, interfaces, and tools, enabling interconnectivity on massive scale and scope that could drastically change business relations in the logistic sector. From a governance point of view, the goal is making the universal interconnection between logistics networks not only technically feasible and economically profitable, but also acceptable by society and industry. One way to make this all acceptable is to demonstrate that the Physical Internet can work, first at a limited scale with experimentations and businesses, so as to build trust and consensus about its design. If collaboration is needed, it is at the design stage of Physical Internet protocols, interfaces, and tools, when researchers and industry innovators can propose solutions and a roadmap, like the EU SENSE project led by ALICE European Technology Platform [https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/769967]. Concept proofing, pilot testing, experimentations, and improvements are leading the way toward wide scale adoption. At that point, governance of PI solutions will need to take place to define validated Physical Internet solutions and guide their implementation, adoption and evolution. Physical Internet research is enhancing and extending the scientific foundations; assessing the performance improvement potentiality; bridging the capability gaps, notably through new models, protocols, and designs; and validating feasibility and implementation hurdles, particularly through monitoring pilot projects and analyzing case studies (Pan et al. 2017). Research and innovation in packaging, handling, and transport containerization (Landschützer et al. 2015; Montreuil et al. 2016; Sallez et al. 2016) are gradually leading the way toward designed-for-logistics, smart, connected, and ecofriendly Physical Internet containers (e.g., aeler.com, livingpackets.com, poneragroup.com), notably with high-impact industry and trade agreements facilitating their development and deployment (e.g., Leblanc, 2020). Business model innovations in line with Physical Internet concepts are making headway in the market and prospering, as expected from Montreuil et al. (2013b). Examples abound, such as on-demand warehousing (e.g., flexe.com), open-access fulfillment network services (darkstore.com, sell.amazon.com/fulfillment-by-amazon), open access delivery platforms (e.g., roadie.com), as well as freight and logistics marketplaces and apps (coyote.com, freightera.com, colivri, mixmove.io, uber.com/freight). Several large logistic players are currently investigating whether and how to evolve stepwise toward the Physical Internet for themselves. For example, logistics and delivery service providers such as Americold, SF Express, and UPS have engaged in major PI research projects with Georgia Tech’s Physical Internet Center. With multinational corporations, the first steps are usually started by aiming toward a Physical Intranet interconnecting their multiple internal networks and activities, and then gradually consider more open multiparty approaches. As an example, UPS has invested in Ware2Go, a technology company and platform to match merchant needs with flexible fulfillment, recruiting and certifying warehouses in strategic locations, enabling merchants to position products closer to their customers, leveraging the scope and scale of UPS’s network to provide an integrated delivery solution to improve management of the order-to-delivery experience (UPS, 2018). The growing piecemeal PI exploration and adoption by industry, from startups to established corporations, highlights why research and innovation projects with collaboration between industry and academia are so important in the current context. There have been several articles that provided a good systematic literature review of the latest published research in the Physical Internet such as Pan, Ballot, Huang, and Montreuil (2017), Sternberg and Norrman (2017), Matusiewicz et al. (2020) and Treiblmaier, Mirkovski, Lowry, and Zacharia (2020). The following review of recently published PI research provides an update and brief overview of the articles published in 2019 and 2020 that have not been previously reviewed. They also help to position the PI paradigm, identity enablers, and propose implementations with tools or in specific areas. The positioning of the Physical Internet as a new paradigm is still an active scientific debate with several new contributions since last year. Through their literature review, Fergani et al. 2019 propose a general taxonomy for PI, distinguishing between research areas that are not as well covered and providing avenues for further research. Two other papers chose to position PI in comparison with actual approaches. Cornejo et al. (2020) provide an overview of both PI and Lean to show the relationship between both paradigms, and they highlight the potential benefit of value stream mapping for contrasting current and Physical Internet solutions in terms of PI goals. Ambra et al. (2019) exposed the relationships between the concepts of synchromodal transport systems and the Physical Internet, as both were developed to improve socioeconomic conditions and environmental sustainability. Their research identifies potential synergies, future research directions, and critical questions to be considered. Another set of papers focuses on enablers such as the one proposed by Meyer et al. (2019). It develops a Blockchain-based 4-layered framework to overcome some of the barriers within PI associated with the exchange of value and physical assets in decentralized logistics networks. Betti et al. (2019a, 2019b) investigate the exploitation of Blockchain distributed ledgers and smart contracts in interconnected logistics and validate the potential by coupling an agent-oriented discrete-events simulation with a Blockchain platform. In the same vein, Tran-Dang et al. (2020) investigate the application of Internet of Things technologies, building blocks, and a service-oriented architecture to accelerate the implementation of PI. Propose an open network-model approach for providing infrastructural data sovereignty that will enable the sharing of sensitive operational data as required for realizing PI. From another perspective, Lafkihi et al. (2019) use gamification methodology to compare a centralized approach, based on a central authority that optimizes transport plans for all carriers, versus a decentralized approach where carriers optimize their own transport plans, as found in simple PI implementations. Results indicate centralization outperforms in terms of global efficiency and effectiveness; while decentralization is better for individual incentives. The last proposed set of papers focuses on solutions for existing problems or new problems raised by new types of operations. Osmólski et al. (2019) present dedicated PI solutions to logistic processes such as modular transport units and real-time planning and information exchange, as well as properly communication et al. (2019) the use of interconnected and systems for an existing freight in a PI leading to a dynamic real-time for et al. (2019) a optimization model that can be for dynamic and within the industry. et al. (2019) focuses on operations in a They the as a model with and validated through an et al. (2019) a simulation that multiple in a flexible dynamic can a shift toward transport that are useful in PI. et al. (2019) a key of the Physical Internet is the need for interconnected that a and they that a model better for high vehicle and a model better for vehicle From a perspective, et al. (2020) the in leveraging PI as a strategic development and by a strategic for to ensure its place as the most logistics by There were papers to the original special topic for was by a of three at each with some papers through leading to papers as The of this special topic as on the Physical Internet was it provided an opportunity for researchers to the latest technologies, applications, and to the Physical Internet. Second, it to critical issues and challenges for future research and development in the broad of Physical Internet and of interconnection and of logistics networks and supply Third, it to further logistics research the new Physical Internet paradigm. the three papers selected for this special goals. The first from and the Digital Internet to the Physical A framework with a network and the between Digital Internet and the Physical Internet. This a framework for PI based on the Digital Internet with the of both the and It the of and the of PI in comparison with In the propose a network model to the implementation of the PI. the develop an to the model and demonstrate how it can be to the PI in a case The second from and is in a Physical Internet and et al. It the and success associated with in a PI network both and They use a research approach, and three logistics service providers in a to demonstrate that central and of resources is a and in PI, especially with continuous PI The third from Sternberg and the Physical Internet Logistics service and design and a key of the PI. The of PI containers is the of this as it at the design and that will the flows in a network context. They a model that flow to investigate compatibility. The that in terms of and flows whether PI or compared with the existing logistics The also show the of and on what the of technology which are all important for future research on and design. The from and A of within a in and the concept of an open network that can access to place for that will in existing to a simulation the were to demonstrate the of closer to leading to in private and existing service providers with only in to existing freight The show more more efficient of leading to a more to the company’s the Physical Internet a paradigm for analyzing logistics operations that particularly to the needs of the environmental and and resilience. It therefore that companies not to the associated Even the first of implementation we remain from universal including when technical solutions are with associated economic for modular handling containers Several which are not can be put which the many avenues of research that are to closer to a implementation of the Physical Internet. There is a need for more operational of PI, both on a larger scale and more open to in the research some companies use concepts to the Physical Internet, in Physical Intranet the limited communication on this the of still The open-access sharing of resources and flow consolidation, in the broad between logistic companies should therefore to be the of research to better the associated with their performance and the conditions for their The of operations is such that to and will also be to the for each of the operators, as by Lafkihi et al. (2020). The distribution of a logistic service several including not at the and beyond is a strong point but the of trust and for monitoring performance. the needs for shared and a or a to a shipment to a third with a to that of operations to a The of the maritime 2016) the of a logistics but all of it on a global scale. the and and it is to in between the players in order to achieve a shared was (e.g., has been and to a new to containers without any company. the design of the remains an and in a limited way the issues at to a large and sector in a to logistics efficiency with the of its This is the by the European which a with industry to this In this it also be useful to from other sectors such as and its Technology for For years, this sector has been and more which is not a physical but a business in the of logistics a of in efficiency set by could make it to technical As the paradigm of the Physical Internet many and but research questions and we are that this special will significant to be on the Physical Internet through the research it will are of all the their the the to the articles found in this special and especially the of Business Logistics and their and providing with the opportunity to develop this

Massimo Pizzol, Romain Sacchi, Susanne Köhler, Annika Anderson Erjavec

Given a fixed product system model, with the current computational framework of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) the potential environmental impacts associated to demanding one thousand units of a product will be one thousand times larger than what results from demanding 1 unit only – a linear relationship. However, due to economies of scale, industrial synergies, efficiency gains, and system design, activities at different scales will perform differently in terms of life cycle impact – in a non-linear way. This study addresses the issue of using the linear framework of LCA to study scalable and emerging technologies, by looking at different examples where technology scale up reflects non-linearly on the impact of a product. First, a computer simulation applied to an entire database is used to quantitatively estimate the effect of assuming activities in a product system are subject to improvements in efficiency. This provides a theoretical but indicative idea of how much uncertainty can be introduced by non-linear relationships between input values and results at the database level. Then the non-linear relations between the environmental burden per tkm of transport on one end, and the cargo mass and range autonomy on the other end is highlighted using a parametrized LCA model for heavy goods vehicles combined with learning scenarios that reflect different load factors and improvement in battery technology. Finally, a last example explores the case of activities related to the mining of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, an emerging technology, and how the impact of scaling the Bitcoin mining production is affected non-linearly by factors such as increase in mining efficiency and geographical distribution of miners. The paper concludes by discussing the relation between non-linearity and uncertainty and by providing recommendations for accounting for non-linearity in prospective LCA studies.

Vincent Carrières, Andrée-Anne Lemieux, Robert Pellerin

No abstract is available for this record.

Maximilian Rolinck, Sebastian Gellrich, Christoph Bode, Mark Mennenga · 7 authors

A shift towards new powertrains and alternative energy sources will increase the complexity of future aircraft configurations and demands for comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment. Due to missing data management structures, gathering of reliable life cycle data is time- and cost-intensive and hampers close examination of heterogenic scenarios. Blockchain and its characteristics, i.e. the distributed architecture and immutability of records, are promising for linking multiple stakeholders and tracking data. Therefore, this paper introduces a blockchain-based data management concept for facilitating comprehensive and detailed Life Cycle Assessment and discusses the conceptual approach with a focus on aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO).

Jeanette Uddoh, Daniel Ajiga, Babawale Patrick Okare, Tope David Aduloju

The evolving landscape of procurement demands greater transparency, accountability, and automation across both public and private sectors. Traditional supplier compliance systems are often fragmented, prone to manual error, and vulnerable to fraud, leading to inefficiencies and regulatory risks. This review explores the integration of blockchain technology into supplier compliance management frameworks as a strategic solution to enhance procurement intelligence. Blockchain’s decentralized, immutable ledger offers real-time auditability, secure smart contracts, and tamper-resistant verification mechanisms that support end-to-end visibility across supply chains. The paper critically examines how blockchain-enabled compliance systems can automate supplier onboarding, enforce contract terms, monitor regulatory adherence, and generate compliance reports in real-time. Furthermore, it analyzes case studies and pilot projects demonstrating successful implementations in government procurement and enterprise resource planning. The study concludes by identifying technical, regulatory, and organizational enablers and barriers, while proposing a research agenda to standardize blockchain-driven compliance models for scalable smart procurement ecosystems.

Marlene Kuhn, Felix Funk, Jörg Franke

The automotive value chain comprises a complex manufacturing network, which encompasses several departments, companies, and even countries. In the age of electrification and autonomous driving, the quality and transparency requirements are rising, in particular for electric and electronic components, which contribute to safety-critical functionalities. In this research, we analyze the traceability requirements and liability implications for the automotive manufacturing network. A key component in preventing safety and quality deficiencies in manufacturing processes is a state-of-the-art traceability system. Accordingly, we propose a blockchain-based traceability architecture to achieve the aspired level of transparency and process security. The proposed blockchain architecture processes manufacturing data entries and defines blockchain nodes, access, as well as consensus algorithm and transaction logic. An Ethereum-based blockchain demonstrator validates the architecture by implementing the logic for automotive product configuration and process sequencing based on the semi-fungible ERC 1155 token, the proof of authority consensus, and an automotive product token smart contract.

Fabian Dietrich, Yiwen Ge, Ali Emre Turgut, Louis Louw · 5 authors

Supply chains have become increasingly complex, making it difficult to ensure transparency throughout the whole supply chain. In this context, first approaches came up, adopting the immutable, decentralised, and secure characteristics of the blockchain technology to increase the transparency, security, authenticity, and auditability of assets in supply chains. This paper investigates recent publications combining the blockchain technology and supply chain management and classifies them regarding the complexity to be mapped on the blockchain. As a result, the increase of supply chain transparency is identified as the main objective of recent blockchain projects in supply chain management. Thereby, most of the recent publications deal with simple supply chains and products. The few approaches dealing with complex parts only map sub-areas of supply chains. Currently no example exists which has the aim of increasing the transparency of complex manufacturing supply chains, and which enables the mapping of complex assembly processes, an efficient auditability of all assets, and an implementation of dynamic adjustments.

Michael Lechner, Philipp Frey, Maximilian Kreß, Marion Merklein · 6 authors

Moderne industrielle Fertigungsprozesse müssen stetig wachsende Anforderungen an Material- und Ressourceneffizienz, Qualität und Variantenvielfalt erfüllen. Die unternehmensübergreifende Zusammenführung integritätsgesicherter Daten ist hierbei Voraussetzung für die retrospektive Identifikation von Qualitätsproblemen, die Dokumentation der Einhaltung von Standards und die Allokation von Ressourcenverbräuchen entlang der Wertschöpfungskette. In diesem Beitrag wird am Beispiel eines Materialcharakterisierungsverfahrens für den hybriden Leichtbau diskutiert, wie mit der Blockchain-Technologie ein manipulationssicheres Speicherkonzept umgesetzt werden kann.   Modern industrial manufacturing processes have to meet ever-increasing requirements in terms of material and resource efficiency, quality and product variety. The cross-company consolidation of integrity-secured data is a prerequisite for the retrospective identification of quality problems, the documentation of compliance with standards and the allocation of resource consumption along the value chain. This paper uses the example of a material characterization process for hybrid lightweight construction processes to discuss how blockchain technology can be used to implement a tamper-proof storage concept.

Erkan YALÇINKAYA, Antonio Maffei

The number of security incidents related to the manufacturing industry has been steadily increasing over the past decade. The most prominent security risks impacting the manufacturing industry are intellectual property theft, supply chain interruptions, industrial espionage, data breaches, and ransomware attacks. Blockchain is an emerging technology that offers distributed, highly available, resilient, and traceable ledger-based databases and thus opens new ways of dealing with conventional security challenges in the confidentiality, integrity, and availability domains. ISA95 outlines manufacturing functions in a number of areas and characterizes the information flows. Moreover, ISA95 constitutes a common blueprint for the manufacturing industry and this research paper systematically assesses the suitability of the blockchain technology for the ISA95 enterprise core functions and sub-functions as a way to ultimately increase the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of manufacturing systems.

Chao Liu, Xiaoshuai Zhang, Francesca Medda

No abstract is available for this record.

Michael Wang, Bill Wang, Ahmad Abareshi

Most current blockchain and carbon emission studies are from engineering and sciences disciplines. By incorporating blockchain technology into supply chain integration capabilities, the firms are be able to work collaboratively with each other to enhance the supply chain integration and simultaneously reduce the carbon emission in a supply chain. This paper presents a conceptual framework to understand the role of blockchain in a low carbon supply chain management. Applying the Socio-Technical Theory and Resource-Based View, the research propositions between blockchain, supply chain integration capability and carbon emission are proposed in the research framework. The results indicate that the blockchain technology may be viewed as a strategic management approach to enhance supply chain integration and reduce the carbon emissions. In addition, it may be adopted as an operational tool to track carbon footprint, streamline processes and improve efficiency of carbon management to minimize the overall emissions in supply chains. The paper contributes to the blockchain literature and its applications in low carbon supply chain management and provides recommendation for future research.

Phillip Taylor, Katrien Steenmans, Ine Steenmans

The global waste and resource crises necessitate and give great impetus for better and more sustainable management of waste. Increasingly, resource and waste streams that once were sent to landfill or incinerated are now reused, recycled, or recovered. Yet, while many laws and policies have been adopted for this very purpose, a number of recurrent challenges persist across interventions seeking to further facilitate the necessary, widespread transitions to sustainable waste management. This perspective article explores the suitability of blockchain technology in overcoming these challenges. In particular, we discuss the opportunities and challenges for blockchain in (1) offering clarity in property rights of products and wastes, (2) supporting law and policy goals by incentivizing sustainable waste management, and (3) maintaining anonymity and privacy for institutions and individuals.

Arghavan Akbarieh, William Carbone, Markus Schäfer, Danièle Waldmann · 5 authors

Despite the enormous amount of raw or secondary materials flowing within the construction industry, the actual available volume of materials and their respective End-of-Lifecycle (EoL) treatment is not regulated nor uniform. On top of that, the EoL responsibility of different stakeholders after the future building deconstruction is confusing and disputable. Consequently, different sustainability policies and […]

Kostas Douladiris, Thomas K. Dasaklis, Fran Casino, Christos Douligeris

Reverse logistics (RL) activities of medical equipment play a crucial role in properly managing durable medical devices at the end of their life. However, refurbishing medical equipment is not a straightforward process, as there exist many challenges associated to their proper re-positioning into the market. In this paper the use of blockchain technology is proposed as a viable solution for establishing sound refurbishing channels for medical equipment while considering relevant regulatory, security and operational prerequisites. In particular, we propose a highly robust traceability mechanism for medical equipment refurbishing activities based on blockchain and smart contracts. Our approach offers multiple and disparate stakeholders (device manufacturers, hospitals, refurbishers, retailers etc.) to share critical RL information in a timely, verifiable and secure fashion. The system provides forensics-by-design functionalities and safeguards the chain-of-custody for all the refurbishing processes taking place. A proof-of-concept implementation is provided as well as a discussion of the various benefits of the proposed RL system.