Our Blockchain Use Cases for Supply Chain Managers, insurances and  decision makers of various companies.

Business Talk am Kudamm in Berlin Fälschungssicherheit für Lieferketten von Pharma- oder Lebensmittelherstellern QR-Codes Produktfälschungen erkennen können und warum NFC-Chips

Blockchain Anti-Counterfeiting for food and pharma supply chains

Businesstalk am Kudamm, Berlin

The counterfeiting market is booming. Fake brands and products account for about 3.3% of world trade. It hurts the reputation of companies that have built up their brand image over years or even decades. Counterfeit medicines and cheaply produced car parts such as airbags or lithium-ion batteries sometimes have fatal consequences.

This month, Arman Sarhaddar, CEO and founder of Vault Security Systems AG, presented the solution for companies and brand owners at Businesstalk am Kudamm in Berlin: the ivault™ Blockchain. In an expert interview with the eloquent moderator Claudia Bechstein, he explained blockchain supply chain use cases in a simple and understandable way, e.g.:

  • how the modern and particularly energy-efficient ivault Blockchain differs from the outdated blockchain technologies such as the Bitcoin blockchain,
  • how blockchain technologies increase anti-counterfeiting for supply chains of pharmaceutical or food manufacturers, and
  • how consumers can detect counterfeit products by scanning QR codes alone and why NFC chips are even better

You can watch the first blockchain interview with Arman Sarhaddar in German right here. Below you will find an English transcription of the interview with additional information on our successful showcases.

More interviews on the new supply chain act in the EU and blockchain-enabled applications for the circular economy will follow soon. Feel free to subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed.

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Blockchain-based Anti-Counterfeiting Solutions

Translation of the interview with additional information


Claudia Bechstein: 

Welcome to Business Talk am Kudamm. Today we’re talking to Arman Sarhaddar, Managing Director of Vault Security Systems AG, about the security of blockchain technology for supply chains.

Mr. Sarhaddar, welcome to Business Talk am Kudamm. It’s great to have you here today and I’m really looking forward to this issue because it’s topical, it’s exciting and we all have to learn much, much more about the Blockchain.

So, your company is developing blockchain technologies and applications. The most well-known example, which is of course on everyone’s mind, is cryptocurrency – is that your focus as well?


Arman Sarhaddar:

Not really. Cryptocurrencies as such were only the first application of blockchain technology. After that, many other use cases have emerged over the years – or decades has to be said, as Bitcoin has been around for more than 12, 13 years now.

With ivault, we specialize in anti-counterfeiting technologies because there is an enormous need for action. Almost one million people die every year because of counterfeit medicines. But there is also an immense need for action regarding spare parts. That’s our focus as well.

For consumers, we have also developed an app that focuses on Lost & Found to protect valuables against theft and loss.


Claudia Bechstein:

If we now take a look at the “production” of cryptocurrencies, especially of course that of Bitcoin, which everyone knows, it has been criticized because of its high energy consumption. Does your blockchain have to contend with the same problems, or did you solve it differently?

Mehr Fälschungssicherheit dank Blockchain Use Case für Pharma und Lebensmittelhersteller, QR-Codes, NFC-Chips, RFID...

Smart presenter Claudia Bechstein started with the particularly pressing questions that viewers are probably most interested in when it comes to blockchain technology. Successful use cases for food manufacturers, spare parts, and the pharma supply chain show that counterfeit protection can be very different… and much more sustainable!


Arman Sarhaddar:

Bitcoin was the first generation when it comes to blockchain applications. Back then it was called proof-of-work sort. Bitcoin mining not only serves the purpose of mining new coins, but also of verifying transactions, and that, of course, takes an extreme amount of energy. But over the years, the innovative technologies in the blockchain space have improved a lot.

We are using a very energy-efficient blockchain that makes our solutions indeed very sustainable. You can compare it with a normal household router that allows you to access the Internet at home.

Claudia Bechstein:

For which areas of application is your technology particularly suitable?


Arman Sarhaddar:

As I mentioned before, the application of blockchain has a huge potential in the pharmaceutical sector. Today, whenever we get a prescription drug from a doctor or the pharmacy, we assume that it is 100% authentic. But unfortunately, also due to the pandemic, a lot of people got used to ordering medication online through online pharmacies, and they can’t identify whether a drug is fake or authentic. Blockchain technology is particularly suitable for proving authenticity. You can scan QR codes or NFC chips that connect physical products to the blockchain platform with any conventional smartphone to determine very quickly whether a product is original or not.


Claudia Bechstein:

To make this a bit clearer for our viewers: Do you have a blockchain use case to demonstrate in a little more detail how this works in practice?


Arman Sarhaddar:

Sure, we have been working, for example, – I can also show it to you [see below] – with a Swiss company,  that is active in the food industry. For this food manufacturer, it was particularly important to make the supply chain transparent and show all the ingredients the product contains to the end consumer.

Since the product is relatively inexpensive – only 20 € – a simple QR code is sufficient. Conventional QR codes that you see on a product’s packaging today will only direct the consumer to the brand owner’s or manufacturer’s website. They don’t really show what happens in the supply chain, they don’t show the verified source of ingredients and raw materials or the carbon footprint that helps to determine whether it is really a climate-neutral product I am holding right now or not.

Nowadays, thanks to the blockchain, you can verify this with any smartphone by pointing the camera at the QR code. Then you can see the entire supply chain on the blockchain platform. On top, you can see that the product is original. You can see which ingredients it contains and below you can also register as a customer to receive benefits. So you can enable many applications in one fell swoop with a simple QR code to connect with customers in both ways, which is also an important pillar for many companies.

 

Fälschungssicherheit Blockchain Supply Chain Use Case für Lebensmittel und Pharma Lieferketten

Blockchain supply chain use case for food and pharma supply chains – a QR code scan lets consumers retrieve verified data that has been stored on the Blockchain platform in a tamper-proof way and cannot even be modified by the company itself – unlike basically any product description text on the company website!

___________

Explaining our Blockchain Use Case for Food Supply Chains

More and more consumers want to know whether a product they bought is sustainable and fair. They often want to know whether it is an original, to make sure they haven’t been mugged off or that it is safe to use. Companies can store the desired information such as certificates on the blockchain and make it available for retrieval via a unique consumer interface. Customers can scan a simple QR code or NFC chip to view validated data, for example, on the origin of coffee, cocoa, or other foods that have been entered by manufacturers in third-world countries themselves.

Companies can decide which data they make accessible in this way. But they can no longer change or subsequently manipulate this data (!) – unlike any text they put on a website. A website is unable to offer real proof of the sustainability of a product or the credibility of a green label. That is something blockchain can do.

Only the tamper-proof information stored on the blockchain is truly reliable as you can be sure it is unaltered. This significantly increases the authenticity of a sustainable brand and helps corporate communication.

 

The scan also allows buyers to register as a consumer, for example, to receive immediate alerts from the blockchain platform when certain fakes seem to be in circulation, e.g. regarding drugs they regularly consume.

You can also register as the rightful owner of a branded product to access blockchain-based proof of ownership at any given time. This is where the ivault app plays a key role: Everywhere you go you have proof of ownership of your beloved belongings right at hand. That makes it much easier to recover lost or stolen items.

Lastly, at the end of a product’s lifecycle, the scan at the drop-off can reward consumer as the enabler of the circular economy. This process can easily be automated via the blockchain platform and motivates consumers to buy certain products.

At the same time, companies will benefit from new types of customer intimacy and brand loyalty. In the future, they could even track ownership changes on the blockchain when products are resold second-hand.

___________

Claudia Bechstein:

Exciting and, above all, so easy to use! You said: Of course, it is fatal if drugs are counterfeited. But how many cases of damage caused by counterfeit products are there, that can be reduced through the use of blockchain technologies? Do you perhaps have some figures?


Arman Sarhaddar:

Right now, the global counterfeit market is worth approximately $900 billion: every year, companies around the world lose close to $900 billion due to counterfeiting. We believe that by using blockchain technology – if you implemented it properly – you can reduce those numbers by up to 30%, that means you have 30% less counterfeiting. We are rock-solid convinced of that, if not 37%.

But it is still a long way to go. The adoption of new technologies usually takes quite a bit of time …


Claudia Bechstein:

OK, despite everything, you just have to let this sum roll off your tongue for a moment: $900 billion… is an incredible amount. And it should be a huge issue for companies and brand owners to become active here. So, how much willingness to invest in blockchain technologies for this reason is there right now?

Mehr Fälschungssicherheit dank Blockchain Use Case für Pharma und Lebensmittelhersteller, QR-Codes, NFC-Chips, RFID...

Expert interview with Arman Sarhaddar, CEO and founder of Vault Security Systems AG (left), and moderator Claudia Bechstein (right) on the topic of blockchain, security and anti-counterfeiting (showcases for food and pharma explaining the use of QR codes, NFC chips, or RFID…)

Arman Sarhaddar:

You can already see this happening in large corporations, whether it’s Bosch or Siemens. They are already using blockchain applications. In smaller companies as well as in food companies or in the pharmaceutical sector, there is a huge need to catch up. We have noticed that through our meetings with such companies. As I said, I am convinced that it will soon be there, but as with every new product, it needs a certain start-up time.


Claudia Bechstein:

Now we have already talked about the QR code that enables consumers to access the blockchain, which is certainly a better application than simply using a link to direct consumers to a website. But that’s not one hundred percent secure either. Are there any other options beyond that?


Arman Sarhaddar:

Absolutely. We are using QR codes for products that have a relatively low price because, in the end, a QR code costs almost nothing. In the example mentioned before, you have 1000 bottles and 1000 unique QR codes to label each bottle individually. That means each product has its own identification, as it has its own serial number, and you can retrieve that information with your smartphone easily to check for authenticity.

Sure, you can fake a QR code – that’s easy to do in itself. Thanks to blockchain, though, even if you copied a unique QR code once, you can see where a scan was made through geofencing and the IP address of the smartphone, for example, and determine exactly whether it was copied and scanned in two different places in the world.

But there are of course much better technologies, such as NFC chips or RFID, which we can also hide in labels and right inside even the smallest products. NFC chips can be as big as a fingernail or the size of a grain of rice and they are still very, very effective.

NFC chips can no longer be forged so easily because they have a built-in crypto processor. This means that every time an NFC chip is scanned, the UID number changes. This cannot be forged, copied, or stolen.


Claudia Bechstein:

Super exciting. Thanks for explaining it in a simple and understandable way, since I think it is still a completely new topic for many viewers and thus helps a lot. Thank you very much.


Arman Sarhaddar:

Thank you.

___________

Supply chain transparency and counterfeit protection


Vault Security Systems AG has worked with various industries of different sizes. In addition to developing and implementing blockchain-enabled supply chain tracking technologies for pharmaceuticals (including corresponding pharma packaging solutions), we dedicated, for example, one pilot project to blockchain-based GPS asset tracking for theft prevention as well as for tracking of disposal and recycling measures.

Our highly customizable use cases at a glance
:

  1. A visible QR code is the most accessible option. Every consumer can retrieve counterfeit-proof data that is validated and verified via their smartphone camera. And thanks to the blockchain platform, this simple measurement already provides effective protection against counterfeiting.
  2. Hidden NFC chips or RFID tags are even more suitable and offer twice the level of security, for example, as counterfeit protection for pharmaceutical products. When scanned via NFC scanner apps for basic smartphones, no counterfeiting attempt can go unnoticed anymore. In addition, it is possible to track exactly where counterfeit products have entered the supply chain.
  3. GPS-enabled asset tracking systems: Another useful case study, which offers maximum security in theft prevention. Transportation vehicles or container deliveries, as well as disposal measures, can be tracked seamlessly and documented automatically.

All of 
this comes in very handy in the context of the new EU supply chain act as well. Hardly any other technology enables companies to prove their own compliance across global supply chains in an incontestable and unambiguous manner. You can find out more about this in the next blog post.

___________

Missing an example of a customized anti-counterfeiting application that can help make your products more secure? We’d be happy to consult with you personally on the best blockchain solution for your unique supply chain:
 Get in touch with us now.

 

 

ivault Blockchain GPS Asset Tracker to prevent Cargo theft

3 Case studies of Blockchain for Asset Tracking and Theft Prevention

What are the best Blockchain Asset Tracking Solutions for cargo, logistics, and supply chain management in 2022? How well do they work? And which applications are already on the market to benefit your company?

We present 3 use cases of real-time container track & trace and supply chain monitoring solutions to prevent cargo theft and counterfeiting crime for a wide range of industries. One example is our successful pilot case study with the ivault™ Platform and GPS trackers customized for seamless waste tracking of the long-established specialist recycling company RCS Entsorgung GmbH from Germany.

Blockchain in Logsistik und Transport-CH Messe 2021 presenting ivault's GPS Asset Tracking System.

Blockchain in logistics and transportation with ivault’s GPS Asset Tracking System: Business Development Manager Markus Kuhlmann und CTO Martin Beyer visiting the 11. Schweizer Nutzfahrzeugsalon transport-CH Expo, Bern on Nov. 2021.

What is Asset Tracking?

Asset tracking means the full and transparent tracing of information about assets of all kinds, including location, status, position, and other relevant information. This includes goods and merchandise, private property, like valuables or other items.

The term refers to the method of tracking physical assets or products back to their sources, e.g. by scanning barcode labels attached to a company’s asset. In addition to RFID and GPS devices, this includes NFC tags and QR codes printed on labels of products that can be easily scanned using smartphone cameras or apps.

Groundbreaking asset tracking solutions, such as ivault, also use blockchain or IoT combined with top-grade GPS trackers to efficiently track items and accurately determine and verify geolocations and other conditions at all times. While the range of RFID tags for signal transmission is limited, certain technologically advanced GPS asset tracking devices are promising in global logistics monitoring, container track & trace, and cargo theft prevention — especially when implemented with blockchain technology.

What are GPS Asset Trackers?

Tangible assets can be tracked with devices that combine common GPS tracking systems with cell phone and/or satellite phone technology. Tracking devices of this type are called GPS asset trackers. They differ from conventional GPS tracking devices in that they are powered by an internal battery and can transmit location data accordingly, independent of the vehicle battery.

Thanks to these asset trackers, the location of global container shipments can be determined in real-time at any time during transport or warehousing. In this way, entire transport routes of deliveries of any kind can be fully tracked and monitored.

Blockchain Asset Tracking
— Use Cases for 2022

Vault Security Systems AG has worked with various industries of different sizes. In addition to our blockchain-based supply chain tracking solutions to prevent pharmaceutical counterfeiting (with corresponding pharma packaging solutions), we also dedicated a pilot project, for example, to customized Blockchain Asset Tracking Solutions to prevent container theft as well as waste tracking for large recycling companies. We will talk about these use cases below.

If you are missing an example of a customized solution for your industry, please contact us right away. We would be happy to advise you on a cost-efficient blockchain-based tracking solution that fits your company’s needs:
Get in touch now.

1. GPS Asset Tracking to prevent container theft

Organized criminals, unfortunately, do not shy away from stealing containers even if they weigh several hundred pounds. Most of our customers fall victim to container theft over and over again. They report stolen shipments several times a year and incur huge losses. Meanwhile, the stolen containers are transported away for hundreds of miles in plain sight.

Preventing theft by combining blockchain with GPS asset tracking devices (on market); can be used to track stolen containers and prevent cargo theft on a global scale.

Blockchain-based GPS Asset Tracking on the ivault™ Platform (on market) for containers, vehicles, or large products; tracks data on geolocation, local conditions, and more, in real-time. 

 

For us, the optimal solution to this massive problem that many companies have was to use top-grade GPS asset trackers with built-in anti-theft technology, and some other small-scale devices like movement sensors. But it is not enough to simply attach these to the containers.

You have to keep in mind different circumstances: One challenge, for example, is that containers can be seen as outdoor-stationary objects as they stand in one place for months or even years and are exposed to extreme temperatures. Our tracking technologies must therefore not only offer the highest possible security standard and theft protection. You also have to make sure, they work perfectly under different conditions — without running out of juice.

Next, we connected the asset tracking devices directly to the ivault™ Platform. The battery’s life of the devices is estimated at 10 years and various alerts are being sent in case of attempted theft, such as unscheduled movement, removal of the tracker from the object.

The finished tracking application features multiple location and transmission methods while using military-grade end-to-end encryption. They can be individually equipped with a wide range of sensors to track containers and other objects and monitor equipment and conditions.

 

2. Waste Tracking: Monitoring Recycling Containers

Concerning today’s recycling and waste reduction needs, there is an immense need for transportation and tracking solutions for waste products across various industries: be it plastic waste, food waste, or hazardous industrial waste. Blockchain-based technologies such as ivault can help waste tracking, from monitoring the correct disposal of hazardous industrial by-products to large shipments of recycling containers.

Companies in the recycling and waste management industry are also facing new challenges after climate change and digitalization: To reduce the CO2 emissions of the vehicle fleet, transport routes must be organized efficiently to avoid empty runs, for example. Accurately determining the current locations of containers is just as important as calculating optimal routes.

Our asset tracking use cases include a customized blockchain solution for tracking waste containers, which we worked out together with RCS Entsorgung GmbH from Germany. After successfully completing a 6-month trial, it is now on the market.

For this, among other things, we attached sensitive GPS trackers to containers and paper presses, which provide real-time data on current locations and transport routes as well as information on current usage via the cloud-based ivault™ Platform. This information can be accessed at any time via a web interface. You can read the full press release in German here:

PRESS RELEASE: Blockchain-based GPS Tracking to monitor waste disposal and recycling containers

3. Global Supply Chain Tracking and Monitoring

Every company with more or less complex supply chains and sought-after products faces certain challenges. ivault focuses on counterfeit protection, theft prevention, as well as customer relations. Yet, it always depends on the individual case: A pharmaceutical company or a luxury brand might need blockchain tracking solutions that look very different from what a large fishing company or other food suppliers are searching for.

Most recently, we talked about how blockchain can increase the security of global supply chains and their protected products. We also explained, how GPS trackers on fishing boats can help determine the unique geolocation of fishing boats to help make fishery more sustainable. Subsequently, the sustainably caught fish can be equipped with further tracking devices and identifiers, such as NFC chips or QR codes, to be shipped to the end customer.

In this TED Talk, supply chain innovator Markus Mutz explained how exactly tracking on the sea can be used as an environmental protection measure and how verified information about a sustainably caught fish reaches the individual buyer in the supermarket:

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How does Blockchain Asset Tracking work?

Of course, with the blockchain-based technology of the ivault™ Platform working seamlessly in the background, the perfect solution is different for each and every supply chain. Retrieving information about supply chain sustainability might already work well with QR codes printed on the packaging of products registered on the blockchain.

However, manufacturers of pharmaceuticals — as well as the electronics or automotive industries — want to track branded products and spare parts even more efficiently. Like many other companies facing counterfeit products and stolen goods (or entire containers being stolen), they particularly benefit from a combination of different visible and invisible identifiers.

This allows them to ensure a double level of protection against theft and counterfeiting for each individual product:

  1. A visibly printed QR code on the packaging can be scanned by end customers using a smartphone and already offers effective protection against counterfeiting when it’s connected to a blockchain platform. Counterfeiters can still copy QR codes, but if copies are then scanned, they will be noticed in individual cases already — thanks to the transparency and immutability of the blockchain platform.
  2. Hidden NFC chips or RFID tags can then be integrated additionally, for example in the packaging of pharmaceutical products, which means that no tampering attempt can go unnoticed. In addition, it can be precisely traced back to where exactly counterfeit products have entered the supply chain. This can help companies to track down criminal activities much faster.

  3. Communication in a GPS-enabled asset tracking system: Another useful case study is a GPS device that can communicate with NFC, for example. At ivault, we can attach a high-grade GPS tracker to a truck or delivery vehicle. Products inside are equipped with an NFC chip each that communicates with the GPS. The GPS sends data about each product from their NFC chips to the blockchain platform. For this, we also developed NFC tagging systems with waterproof and washable chips that can be used in clothes. Others can also be integrated with metal products without losing conductivity.

Moreover, companies can create a new transparent and authentic communication channel between their brands and their customers, start collecting zero-party data and build long-term customer relationships and customer loyalty.

Blockchain tracking for Supply Chain and Logistics with GPS Trackers to prevent theft crime and track every step of production, global shipments or recycling

ivault’s Blockchain-based technology for cargo logistics, supply chain monitoring, and waste tracking with GPS asset tracking devices to prevent theft crime and to get real-time data on complete product life cycles, global shipments, recycling, or other sustainable measurements to protect the environment.

Advantages of Using Blockchain for Asset Tracking

So, why exactly is Blockchain being used to improve GPS trackers in logistics and transport? How can a Blockchain platform help with tracking physical assets, when we are already using the best GPS trackers out there? And is it worth what it costs? Here are some answers.

Our current GPS technologies need an upgrade that finally makes a difference as the numbers of container thefts continue to rise despite all the measures taken so far. Again the best solution for this problem is Blockchain. Because the future technology offers one core advantage and that is trust — a value proposition that also characterizes ivault.

Distributed ledgers are decentralized, resilient, and secure — these are the main advantages of Blockchain in general. Hence, Blockchain can make traditional GPS systems more secure, resilient, and data transmitted can be stored in a decentralized and thus hacker-proof way.

For example, it will be much easier to unambiguously verify geolocation in real-time, as it is impossible to manipulate data once it is on the blockchain. After all, data is no longer stored centrally on one potentially frail server only, but distributed across multiple computers.

In addition to the forgery-proof documentation, the system’s character as a neutral platform is another major advantage. A middleman is no longer necessary, and with all this, blockchain also helps to increase efficiency: the system enables the management of cross-organizational processes and can still be easily integrated into existing systems, which makes it above all a cost-efficiently smart product.

This seems to be the perfect solution for the global logistics and shipping industry, from food suppliers’ or luxury goods deliveries to industrial waste disposal and recycling, antibiotics or vaccine distribution, or multi-million dollar medical devices being shipped and not stolen (again)

B2C: Digital Asset Tracking for Consumers

Of course, private individuals are also very interested in protecting their belonging and tracking assets in case of loss or theft. Especially when it comes to mobile assets such as stolen bikes or cars.

With the ivault™ App, users can digitalize assets and rely on their local community: If something is lost or stolen, other users can help recover the missing item. Thus, affordable blockchain-based theft prevention comes not only to companies and brands but also directly to people with the launch of the app:

Everyone can protect their valuables and track items with blockchain, whether they own very expansive items, they want to protect from thieves, or they simply want to make sure, things with a special meaning will find their way back thanks to someone helping out. At last, people can build a stronger community thanks to the ivault App, focusing on mutual support and safety.

Of course, the app also offers potential for the use of asset tracking technologies such as GPS trackers to prevent bike theft, for example, or to track down and find lost pets. All kinds of asset tracking devices are already being used everywhere on a large scale, of course. Yet, what’s still missing is a secure and trustworthy platform based on Blockchain behind the asset tracking devices for personal use to receive verified data about the current location of a stolen vehicle, for example.

Read more about this in Germany’s most reliable Financial & Business Newspapers Handelsblatt:

 

Handelsblatt Advertorials for ivault

 

from sustainable blockchain solutions for supply chain to social applications to benefit every single private citizen

CNN, Fox & more:
5 Ways to Use Blockchain for Social Impact and Global Change


Today, we are thrilled to announce: The ivault™ App is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store now. In the meantime, our educational commercial has been featured on Fox Business Network, CNN Headline News, and many others. Watch the video below and read about 5 ways we use Blockchain Technology for social change, environmental protection, and saving lives…

What is ivault and how does the ivault App work as a Social Network with its basic Lost & Found Platform to find lost items and help others.

From our anti-counterfeit packaging solution for businesses (and end customers to detect fake products) to the ivault™ App, a new lost & found app – based on a Blockchain Social Network concept that realizes the vision of using Blockchain for social impact to benefit local communities on a global scale. 

So, we can proudly say: Our flagship brand is a successful brand already.

But how did we get there? You will know after reading about these 5 things the ivault Blockchain can do to benefit society and make the world a better place:

  1. _ Saving lives.
  2. _ Increasing consumer safety.
  3. _ Helping sustainable development goals and green consumers.
  4. _ Tracking assets to prevent theft.
  5. _ Building a safe social engagement platform to find local help.

The ivault Blockchain explained on Fox, CNN and others

In September 2021, our short educational video about ivault aired nationally on Fox Business Network and CNN Headline News. We added the video below for you to watch right away.

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ivault™ is a successful brand already.

However, a brand reputation like this poses requirements for any future-oriented company. It demands corporate efforts towards sustainability, environmental protection, and social responsibility.

Thus, we aim to use sustainable technology solutions based on Blockchain for social impact and the environment all around the globe. Below, you can read about the 5 things a “Social Blockchain” can be used for to make the world a better place.

For more information about our innovative product using Blockchain Technology for social change, visit ivault.app. Or try it yourself: ivault is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store now.

Using Blockchain for Social Impact

— What is “Blockchain for Social Impact”?

The term “Blockchain for Social Impact” was coined by the Blockchain for Social Impact Coalition (BSIC). Their mission is to incubate, develop, and implement blockchain solutions that can address social and environmental challenges across the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Now, we want to show you

  • why we use Blockchain for social impact,
  • how distributed ledgers can actually benefit society, and
  • what it means to use Blockchain to drive social change.

— Why use Blockchain for social impact?

First of all, we want to address social challenges because, in our opinion, every company nowadays has to take social and ecological responsibilities. To actively help the environment is a major necessity in modern economics and technological innovation.

It is no secret that companies usually want to make money. But some exclusively try to make as much of a profit as they can. Without caring for our planet or fellow human beings. These businesses are, for example, the counterfeiters we are trying to fight
— with distributed ledger technologies.

Secondly, distributed ledger technology, better known as Blockchain, is one of the most secure and powerful technologies available today. Unfortunately, it has not yet been used to its full potential.

That is what we want to change
— with ivault.

Beyond that, luckily, we are not alone. Some companies are already testing blockchain prototypes for future applications to benefit the health and well-being of people. Then, of course, there are similar projects with other promising future projects like Google’s program AI for Social Good.

Now, it’s time to get to the heart of things and discuss, what it really means to use Blockchain for social impact. We are going to show you, how we are using the ivault Blockchain for social impact. Some of the following track & trace solutions for B2B are already on market.

How to use Blockchain for social impact

Here are 5 things Blockchain can be used for to benefit society, boost social change and help the environment:

1. Saving lives.

With Blockchain as an anti-counterfeiting technology.

What type of technology saves lives? Without the heading that suggests “Blockchain as an anti-counterfeiting technology,” you would presumably first think of some medical devices. Likewise, security technology can save lives — another basic answer to the question above.

Blockchain or Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) has rarely been described as a technology that saves lives. Yet, it is one of the best security technologies we have.

And we can also use it to store health records safely or enhance medicinal technologies in different ways. In our case, for example, to prevent theft and fight counterfeit products that cause millions of deaths each year all around the globe. Especially, in the pharmaceutical industry.

By making it much easier to detect and prevent counterfeit and stolen goods in the supply chain, Blockchain Technology as an anti-counterfeiting solution can reduce the number of deaths by counterfeit drugs and, thus, save many MANY lives.

Here is one of our most illustrative blockchain use cases for pharma that will have a massive environmental and social impact all around the globe.

► Anti-counterfeiting pharmaceuticals

Counterfeit drugs can cause substantial damage, not just to a company’s reputation.

When it comes to the pharma supply chain, Blockchain Technology can be used to track pharmaceutical products and third-party ingredients more efficiently than ever.

In order to track products, we use a special blockchain design to store a digital twin of products. Products are then integrated with unique physical identifiers and modern tracking technology like QR, NFC, RFID, or GPS trackers to identify and track assets.

We are using supply chain solutions to combat counterfeit products in the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Essentially, what prevents death by counterfeit drugs is supply chain transparency and some way for the consumer to check a product’s authenticity before use.

Use case: Blockchain as anti-counterfeiting technology for the pharma industry

Use case: Blockchain as anti-counterfeiting technology for the pharma industry reducing the number of deaths caused by fake prescription drugs.

 

Our blockchain solutions enable the end customers to detect fake drugs themselves by scanning the ivault.verified anti-counterfeit label on a product’s packaging.

If it is an original it is easy to verify product authenticity and the consumer can be sure that a product is really safe to use.

This simple act can not only save lives, but also brand reputation.

► Preventing deaths by other counterfeit goods

We are currently focusing on blockchain solutions in pharma as fake drugs are a major global threat to humankind.
Of course, it is not only fake medicine, posing serious health threats and causing fatal incidences. Almost every industry desperately needs better anti-counterfeiting technologies. Other examples of dangerous counterfeit goods you might not think of in the first place:

That is why we want to take anti-counterfeiting technologies to the next level and provide solutions that are accessible and easy to use for your end customers as well.

2. Increasing consumer safety.

By increasing supply chain transparency and protecting products.

Successful companies want brand protection. That is a considerable market as traditional logistics and data management systems still fail to ward off counterfeit and pirated products.
 Increased supply chain transparency and security make it much easier to detect and prevent fakes and stolen goods from entering the supply chain.

However, DLT-solutions for businesses — like ivault — not only protect brands and secure supply chains. Blockchain can also enhance the safety of consumer products of any kind.

How? Product authenticity can be monitored and verified throughout the production — from third-party suppliers’ parts to the end consumer, including those who buy a product second-hand (or even third-hand). Supply chain managers can check the authenticity of parts and ingredients much like the end customer as described above.

By implication, increased product safety also means improved consumer safety which benefits society globally.

Nevertheless, trademark protection is by no means secondary. Here is an outraging story that shows: Better brand protection solutions (even for luxury goods!) benefits society globally — by fighting organized crime that is potentially funding other criminal activities:

► TED Talk: Counterfeiting handbags is not a victimless crime

The end customers — an essential part of the supply chain — are affected much worse by cheap and harmful imitations like faulty car parts or fake drugs. While large corporations make “only a few billion in loss,“ consumers may have to pay with their lives.

That makes it understandably hard for people to feel pity for big companies suffering from brand counterfeiting but still making loads of money. 
Many people would still be glad to find a good Gucci fake on vacation.

But, as counterfeit investigator Alastair Gray states in a TED Talk (How fake handbags fund terrorism and organized crime):

“Counterfeiting is not a victimless crime.”

Even in the case of counterfeit fashion accessories, like the seemingly innocent fake handbags at the beach…

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ivault enables anyone with a smartphone to become a counterfeit investigator for their favorite brand or company. Consumers can scan QR-Codes printed on the ivault.verified anti-counterfeit label on the product packaging.

Embedded NFC chips are even safer and can be fully hidden inside a product or its packaging. Scanning an ivault.verified product with an NFC chip reader app still works very well even with metal objects.

3. Helping people live a more sustainable life

By providing verified data about green products. 

Nowadays, sustainability is an enormous and growing competitive advantage for companies. The modern consumer is concerned with the sustainability of products and manufacturing conditions, from organic food to fair trade fashion. To comply with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is becoming more important for brand trust.

Now, Blockchain can guarantee product authenticity and provide verified data about original products, as mentioned above, through a simple QR scan with any smartphone to get more information about the green products, like sustainability certificates, stored on the blockchain.

This way, as a green company, you can create a new customer experience for those who care for the environment. To help consumers live a more sustainable life and build trust in your brand and products. Here is another example of a startup company that attempts to track sustainably caught fish — an excellent explanation of how blockchain tracking works and how it can contribute to a greener economy.

► TED Talk: Blockchain for fish tracking

Supply chain innovator Markus Mutz discusses a fish tracking use case using Blockchain very well. His startup company OpenSC and WWF are developing a fish tracking prototype using a variety of different tracking technologies.

His TED Talk (How supply chain transparency can help the planet) is an excellent explanation of how supply chain transparency can help the planet using Blockchain, GPS-tracking, RFID, and QR for sustainably caught fish and other green goods. And how verified product information can help people live more sustainable lives:

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► Blockchain-based product authentication for green goods

With ivault, companies can not only provide consumers with immutable information about the environmental friendliness of green goods. ivault offers a new and more authentic communication channel to create a remarkable customer journey — based on improved supply chain transparency.

Moreover, our distributed ledger is green as well — the energy consumption is lower than that of any normal computer. We have already discussed how Blockchain can help the environment here: Sustainable blockchain supply chain solutions in 2020.

Use case: Blockchain as anti-counterfeiting technology for the pharma industry

Use case: Blockchain product authenticity verification process to retrieve data about the sustainability of a product.

 

The Blockchain-based sustainability check for mobile devices works essentially the same like the anti-counterfeiting use case in the picture you have seen before — scan a QR-Code or read NFC tags integrated with the sustainable product and the ivault platform will retrieve all the data on the manufacturing conditions and sustainability of this product provided by the company.

4. Tracking assets to prevent theft

Both for B2B, logistics and supply chain, and for consumers.

In the past, we have talked a lot about how we increase overall supply chain security to combat the counterfeit market. For some companies, the number of stolen goods can be a much bigger problem.

We have long been working on use cases for asset tracking, anti-theft and crime prevention as well. We are using Blockchain for container tracking and cargo theft prevention, for example. Some anti-theft systems based on the ivault Blockchain and small-scale technologies, like sensors and embedded chips, are already on the market.

Here is one of them — our pilot project for theft prevention:

► Blockchain & GPS for theft prevention

A few months ago, we entered a cooperation to conduct a pilot for theft prevention of outdoor-stationary objects. The devices are connected to the ivault platform and feature multiple locating and transmission methods while using military-grade end-to-end encryption.

The battery life of the tracking devices is 10 years and various alerts are being sent in case of attempted theft, such as unscheduled movement, removal of the tracker, etc. The devices can be equipped or connected to a wide range of sensors for monitoring purposes.

Preventing theft by combining blockchain with GPS tracking devices (on market); can be used to track stolen containers and prevent cargo theft on a global scale.

Blockchain for theft prevention using high-end GPS trackers.

 

Theft prevention combining Blockchain with GPS tracking devices (on market); can be used to track stolen containers and prevent cargo theft at large. Can also secure expensive medical devices that are being shipped and at high risk to be stolen.

► Bike theft prevention on the ivault App

Private citizens, on the other hand, can use the ivault app to track physical assets. One of the results is that Blockchain can serve as a social deterrent to prevent bike theft and make communities safer.

The Blockchain Social Network concept also sets a new security standard for other social media platforms with a long history of abusing and selling personal data of customers…

In contrast, by using Blockchain to protect user data, we are creating a social platform that leaves no space for criminal cyber activities to hack and steal data. We are excited to combine our B2C solution for physical asset recovery with asset insurance in the future as well.

However, we will discuss both B2B and B2C Blockchain / Asset tracking use cases in the next entry.

Anti theft: bike theft prevention with the ivault App.

Anti-theft: bike theft prevention with the ivault App.

5. Building a social engagement platform

To find help when you need it

As our CEO Arman Sarhaddar states in our US TV commercial: In the past, way before the revolution of the internet, people had more compassion for each other. If someone lost something, they would help look for it. If someone needed to borrow something, there would be no question to help out.

Unfortunately, those habits got lost in this fast-paced society we are living in — despite being more connected than ever through digitalization and globalization.

With the ivault mobile app for local communities, we are creating a social engagement platform for private citizens to find local help more easily. We enable every single person to use Blockchain for social impact by supporting each other. Apart from our huge lost & found database, anyone can lend or borrow items or simply ask their local community questions.

A digital social engagement platform like this makes it much easier to help others and to get help quickly whenever you need it.

And it can effectively boost social change.

ivault social engagement platform for locals to help each other and meet new friends with the highest level of cybersecurity.

Visit ivault.app to get the ivault App — a social engagement platform for locals to help each other and meet new friends with the highest level of cybersecurity.