A new National Institute of Standards and Technology report examines how blockchain technology may help companies identify and trace products throughout the manufacturing supply chain.
The “NIST Internal Report 8419” report offers multiple case studies exploring the potential of data storage and sharing platforms such as a distributed ledger to update the traceability process, the agency said Wednesday.
These investigations include a proof-of-concept demonstration in the aviation sector, a digital supply chain process for the Department of Defense and a blockchain integration effort that involves a production line of a Fortune 500 company.
NIST said its networked control systems team will work with the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence to pursue additional research on blockchain-based traceability.
According to the agency, blockchain goes through a pair of validation steps and creates a digital thread for goods moving through the supply chain. The approach allows technology users to access open data and verify product authenticity, NIST added.