Blockchain and Logistics
Active Project
I'm proud of my Master's of Engineering student, Lifeng Ni, who accomplished his Master's by Course Thesis project on the application of blockchain in logistics at UNSW.
The application of blockchain and smart contracts have been widely acknowledged as essential in digitised logistics, offering improved traceability, transparency, and efficiency. However, concerns regarding performance and implementation limitations persist. To demonstrate the challenges regarding the performance and efficiency of blockchain in logistics use cases, he developed a proof-of-concept (PoC) model by leveraging Hyperledger Fabric (HF) blockchain network to emulate shipping logistics process and illustrated the automated and self-executing nature of smart contracts and transactions among various logistics participants by implementing RAFT consensus mechanism. He also undertook series of experiments to evaluate the performance of his proposed PoC model using Hyperledger Caliper.
You can read this open-access paper and find the open-source codes at Github at https://github.com/Eric1573/LogisticChain.git.
Throughout my postdoctoral project, I focused on the application of blockchain for port logistics, where I examined different blockchain-based enterprise solution and their suitability considering PCS requirements. This research mainly aimed at cutting through the “marketing hype” which often makes unrealistic and unsubstantiated claims regarding the features and functionality of some of the available and emerging blockchain platforms.
Accordingly, I have consulted the Port of Brisbane on their blockchain pilot project since last year, including disseminating an industry report, and peer-reviewing the platform requirement document, and reviewing the industry proposals.
For further details, please refer to the following publications:
Irannezhad, Elnaz (2019); Is blockchain a solution for logistics and freight transportation problems?; The 15th World Conference on Transport Research - WCTR 2019, 26-9 May 2019, Mumbai, India. Download Full Text
Irannezhad, E; 2020, ‘Architectural Design Requirements for a Blockchain-based Port Community System’, Logistics 2020, 4(4), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/logistics4040030. Download Full Text
Irannezhad, E. and Faroqi, H., 2021. Addressing some of bill of lading issues using the Internet of Things and blockchain technologies: a digitalized conceptual framework. Maritime Policy & Management, pp.1-19. Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.1080/03088839.2021.1930223 . Download Full Text.
I have also given three presentations related to this topic in 2019 and 2020 as:
Digital Supply Chain, National Roads and Traffic Expo, Virtual Conference, 2020
Ethereum Engineering Group; Brisbane, Australia, 2019
World Conference on Transportation Research Society, Mumbai, India, 2019
Supply Chain on Blockchain Conference, Brisbane, Australia. 2019
Application of blockchain in Tourism industry
When I started learning about blockchain, I came to know that it has so many other uses such as hospitality industry. You can read more about this in my paper on blockchain and tourism here, Download Full Text.