scholarly journals Applying Distributed Ledger Concepts to a Swiss Regional Label Ecosystem

Logistics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
Saša Malešević ◽  
Michael Lustenberger ◽  
Florian Spychiger
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Design Science ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Practical Interest ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Security And Privacy ◽  
Sensitive Data ◽  
Distributed Ledger ◽  
Distributed Ledger Technology ◽  
Data Capturing

Improving current supply chains by using distributed ledger technology (DLT) has been a highly researched topic during the last years. Currently, there are numerous articles elaborating on how such technologies can theoretically improve supply chains. However, case studies of such concepts and their economic value are scarce. In order to bridge this gap, we collaborated with a regional label company to clarify how a distributed ledger technology would benefit their ecosystem. This work answers the question of how such a prototype would look and whether it adds value. By following design science research practices, we design two artifacts based on requirements gathered in 14 interviews and discuss the artifacts’ elements within an evaluation panel. Our findings show that a distributed ledger application for the regional label ecosystem should have an open and decentralized architecture giving all participants full access to the shared data while still providing security and privacy for sensitive data. Additionally, data capturing should be simple. However, such an application does not add sufficient economic value and is currently of no practical interest in the regional label ecosystem as the expenditure likely exceeds the benefit.

scholarly journals Distributed Ledger Technology Applications in Food Supply Chains: A Review of Challenges and Future Research Directions

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4206
Author(s):  
Jamilya Nurgazina ◽  
Udsanee Pakdeetrakulwong ◽  
Thomas Moser ◽  
Gerald Reiner
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Security And Privacy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Distributed Ledger ◽  
Future Research Directions

The lack of transparency and traceability in food supply chains (FSCs) is raising concerns among consumers and stakeholders about food information credibility, food quality, and safety. Insufficient records, a lack of digitalization and standardization of processes, and information exchange are some of the most critical challenges, which can be tackled with disruptive technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and distributed ledger technologies (DLTs). Studies provide evidence that novel technological and sustainable practices in FSCs are necessary. This paper aims to describe current practical applications of DLTs and IoT in FSCs, investigating the challenges of implementation, and potentials for future research directions, thus contributing to achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Within a systematic literature review, the content of 69 academic publications was analyzed, describing aspects of implementation and measures to address the challenges of scalability, security, and privacy of DLT, and IoT solutions. The challenges of high costs, standardization, regulation, interoperability, and energy consumption of DLT solutions were also classified as highly relevant, but were not widely addressed in literature. The application of DLTs in FSCs can potentially contribute to 6 strategic SDGs, providing synergies and possibilities for more sustainable, traceable, and transparent FSCs.

scholarly journals Overview on the Blockchain-Based Supply Chain Systematics and Their Scalability Tools

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 45-69
Author(s):  
Houssein Hellani ◽  
Layth Sliman ◽  
Abed Ellatif Samhat ◽  
Ernesto Exposito
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Data Storage ◽  
Cost Optimization ◽  
Supply Chain System ◽  
Time To Market ◽  
Distributed Ledger ◽  
Distributed Ledger Technology ◽  
Transaction Fees ◽  
Tools And Techniques

Modern IT technologies shaped the shift in economic models with many advantages on cost, optimization, and time to market. This economic shift has increased the need for transparency and traceability in supply chain platforms to achieve trust among partners. Distributed ledger technology (DLT) is proposed to enable supply chains systems with trust requirements. In this paper, we investigate the existing DLT-based supply chain projects to show their technical part and limitations and extract the tools and techniques used to avoid the DLT scalability issue. We then set the requirements for a typical DLT-based supply chain in this context. The analyses are based on the scalability metrics such as computing, data storage, and transaction fees that fit the typical supply chain system. This paper highlights the effects of Blockchain techniques on scalability and their incorporation in supply chains systems. It also presents other existing solutions that can be applied to the supply chain. The investigation shows the necessity of having such tools in supply chains and developing them to achieve an efficient and scalable system. The paper calls for further scalability enhancements throughout introducing new tools and/or reutilize the current ones. Doi: 10.28991/esj-2021-SP1-04 Full Text: PDF

scholarly journals Blockchain vehicles for efficient Medical Record management

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anuraag A. Vazirani ◽  
Odhran O’Donoghue ◽  
David Brindley ◽  
Edward Meinert
Keyword(s):  
Medical Records ◽  
Medical Data ◽  
Record Management ◽  
Healthcare Outcomes ◽  
Sensitive Data ◽  
Novel Technology ◽  
Distributed Ledger ◽  
Distributed Ledger Technology ◽  
Data Ownership

AbstractThe lack of interoperability in Britain’s medical records systems precludes the realisation of benefits generated by increased spending elsewhere in healthcare. Growing concerns regarding the security of online medical data following breaches, and regarding regulations governing data ownership, mandate strict parameters in the development of efficient methods to administrate medical records. Furthermore, consideration must be placed on the rise of connected devices, which vastly increase the amount of data that can be collected in order to improve a patient’s long-term health outcomes. Increasing numbers of healthcare systems are developing Blockchain-based systems to manage medical data. A Blockchain is a decentralised, continuously growing online ledger of records, validated by members of the network. Traditionally used to manage cryptocurrency records, distributed ledger technology can be applied to various aspects of healthcare. In this manuscript, we focus on how Electronic Medical Records in particular can be managed by Blockchain, and how the introduction of this novel technology can create a more efficient and interoperable infrastructure to manage records that leads to improved healthcare outcomes, while maintaining patient data ownership and without compromising privacy or security of sensitive data.

scholarly journals Threat Modeling—How to Visualize Attacks on IOTA?

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1834
Author(s):  
Ikram Ullah ◽  
Gerard de Roode ◽  
Nirvana Meratnia ◽  
Paul Havinga
Keyword(s):  
Security And Privacy ◽  
Security Vulnerabilities ◽  
Vast Number ◽  
Threat Modeling ◽  
Iot Applications ◽  
Distributed Ledger ◽  
Distributed Ledger Technology ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Iot Devices ◽  
Privacy Breaches

Internet of Things (IoT) has been deployed in a vast number of smart applications with the aim to bring ease and comfort into our lives. However, with the expansion of IoT applications, the number of security and privacy breaches has also increased, which brings into question the resilience of existing security and trust mechanisms. Furthermore, the contemporaneous centralized technology is posing significant challenges viz scalability, transparency and efficiency to wide range of IoT applications such as smart logistics, where millions of IoT devices need to be connected simultaneously. Alternatively, IOTA is a distributed ledger technology that offers resilient security and trust mechanisms and a decentralized architecture to overcome IoT impediments. IOTA has already been implemented in many applications and has clearly demonstrated its significance in real-world applications. Like any other technology, IOTA unfortunately also encounters security vulnerabilities. The purpose of this study is to explore and highlight security vulnerabilities of IOTA and simultaneously demonstrate the value of threat modeling in evaluating security vulnerabilities of distributed ledger technology. IOTA vulnerabilities are scrutinized in terms of feasibility and impact and we have also presented prevention techniques where applicable. To identify IOTA vulnerabilities, we have examined existing literature and online blogs. Literature available on this topic is very limited so far. As far as we know IOTA has barely been addressed in the traditional journals, conferences and books. In total we have identified six vulnerabilities. We used Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS v3.0) to further categorize these vulnerabilities on the basis of their feasibility and impact.

scholarly journals Knowledge Risks in Digital Supply Chains Proposal of a Dissertation Project at the School of Business, Economics and Social Sciences University of Graz

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes P. Zeiringer ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Design Science ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Business Economics ◽  
Management Perspective ◽  
Data Analytic ◽  
Exchange Data ◽  
Selection Of

The digital transformation changes the way how organizations exchange data in supply chains (SC). Data traditionally shared, is enriched by detailed data sets captured by sensors in the production itself. Advanced data analytic approaches make it possible to extract knowledge from such data sets and thus increase the risk that competitive knowledge unintentionally spills over. From a knowledge management perspective, little attention is paid to such knowledge risks arising from data-centric collaborations. Hence, this proposed PhD project aims at investigating this, by using the overall method of Design Science Research. The project focuses on digital SC, as data-centric collaborations play a central role within them. To contribute to knowledge research, a framework is being sought. The elaborated framework should allow an assessment of knowledge risks and support the selection of suitable measures and it should contribute on how to support the management of knowledge risks in digital SC.

scholarly journals How Useful Is a Distributed Ledger for Tracking and Tracing in Supply Chains? A Systems Thinking Approach

Logistics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 75
Author(s):  
Christian Straubert ◽  
Eric Sucky
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Systems Thinking ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Physical World ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Distributed Ledger ◽  
Distributed Ledger Technology ◽  
Special Cases ◽  
The Status

Background: The use of blockchain technology for tracking and tracing (T&T) in supply chains is the subject of lively debate in scientific literature. However, distributed ledger technology (DLT) does not have to have the characteristic blockchain structure and often performs better without such a structure. Generalized DLT for T&T in supply chains has rarely been discussed in the existing literature. Methods: This article presents an exploratory case study research of eight companies to identify the main goals, and problems that the companies have when they engage in T&T. This practical perspective is complemented by a theoretical systems thinking perspective. Based on these two foundations, we discuss the usefulness of blockchain technology and, more generally, DLT for T&T in supply chains. Results: Based on our analysis, DLT is only necessary in special cases, e.g., when the owners of the data have an interest in deleting the data, but the data stakeholders do not. In the other cases examined, DLT competes with other technologies, such as conventional, centralized databases in combination with digital signatures. Furthermore, it became evident that DLT can only be useful for supply chain tracing. The technological features of DLT do not provide any benefit for supply chain tracking, i.e., the timely communication of the status of a physical good. Conclusions: Distributed ledgers often have a disadvantage in that they are very complex and, therefore, expensive. DLT should preferably only be used when it is technologically necessary or the simplest/cheapest choice, which is probably not all that often. Finally, the usefulness of distributed ledger technology and its integrated smart contract technology is highly dependent on how easy it is to link the real physical world to a digital record/contract in an error-free and tamper-proof way. Currently, such a definite link exists only in very few cases and is often impossible.

scholarly journals The Future of Mobile Edge Computing

2021 ◽  
pp. 81-105
Author(s):  
Yan Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Edge Computing ◽  
Security And Privacy ◽  
Mobile Edge Computing ◽  
Distributed Ledger ◽  
Distributed Ledger Technology ◽  
Service Efficiency ◽  
The Future

AbstractThis chapter first introduces the fundamental principles of blockchain and the integration of blockchain and mobile edge computing (MEC). Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology with a few desirable security characteristics. The integration of blockchain and MEC can improve the security of current MEC systems and provide greater performance benefits in terms of better decentralization, security, privacy, and service efficiency. Then, the convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and MEC is presented. A federated learning–empowered MEC architecture is introduced. To improve the performance of the proposed scheme, asynchronous federated learning is proposed. The integration of blockchain and federated learning is also presented to enhance the security and privacy of the federated learning–empowered MEC scheme. Finally, more MEC enabled applications are discussed.

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