Blockchains everywhere - a use-case of blockchains in the pharma supply-chain

Abstract

Blockchains are on the top of the Gartner Hype Cycle 2016 and many start-ups are integrating blockchains into their technology portfolio. While blockchains have emerged in the context of financial applications, non-financial application areas are of interest as well. In this paper, modum.io is presented, a start-up that uses IoT (Internet of Things) sensor devices leveraging blockchain technology to assert data immutability and public accessibility of temperature records, while reducing operational costs in the pharmaceutical supply-chain. The medical industry has many complex and strict environmental control process (e.g., temperature and humidity) to ensure quality control and regulatory compliance over the transport of medical products. The sensor devices monitor the temperature of each parcel during the shipment to fully ensure GDP regulations. All data is transferred to the blockchain where a smart contract assesses against the product attributes. As modum.io is not the only non-financial start-up working with blockchains, a list of areas and other start-ups is provided that aim to reduce bureaucracy, distribute the infrastructure, and saving costs using blockchains.