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The privacy barrier for blockchain in logistics : first lessons from the Port of Hamburg
Publikationstyp
Conference Paper
Date Issued
2019-09-07
Sprache
English
Author(s)
Institut
TORE-URI
Start Page
45
End Page
61
Citation
Logistics management : strategies and instruments for digitaizing and decarbonizing supply chains : proceedings of the German Academic Association for Business Research, Halle, 2019 / Christian Bierwirth, Thomas Kirschstein, Dirk Sackmann (editors). - Cham : Springer, 2019. (Lecture notes in logistics). - Seite 45-61
Contribution to Conference
Publisher DOI
Scopus ID
Publisher
Springer
Blockchain technology is associated with greatly beneficial applications for supply chain and logistics (SC&L), two of which are to trace goods across many actors, and to decentralize asset transfers without needing an intermediary. As a first use-case, actors from the Port of Hamburg are planning to implement blockchain to improve the sea freight container release by providing a common data platform for sea freight carriers, terminals, truck companies, and freight forwarders. Currently, releasing containers from the port’s terminals to trucks requires proof of ownership for the recipient to take custody. In practice, this proof passes through many hands causing duplication of information flow and ownership evidence. We conducted workshops and short interviews with experts providing first-hand insight into the use-case. Using blockchain in the process provides improvements such as traceable proof of ownership. The technology also faces barriers, with privacy concerns as one of the most prominent obstacles. A decentralized system could lead to business networks and company information being disclosed through data triangulation. We argue that privacy is a vital design consideration that affects the use of blockchain in SC&L generally.
Subjects
Blockchain
Port of Hamburg
Privacy
Seafreight
DDC Class
004: Informatik
330: Wirtschaft
380: Handel, Kommunikation, Verkehr