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Maersk, IBM say 94 groups have
signed on to blockchain platform
Maersk Line and IBM Corp. said that 94 logistics organiza-
tions have agreed to participate in the blockchain-enabled
joint venture they launched in January to promote more
efficient and secure global trade.
Copenhagen-based Maersk and IBM, headquartered in
Armonk, N.Y., believe their “TradeLens” venture can bring
together various parties to support better information shar-
ing and spur industrywide innovation, the partners said.
The project was announced in January when the two partners said they had formed a joint venture to improve the
flow of data in global trade and transportation by applying
blockchain technology to create a distributed ledger that
builds a transparent and indelible record of supply chain
transactions. The Kuwaiti logistics firm Agility Logistics said
in February it would use the platform to manage its international container shipments, as Maersk and IBM continued
working to obtain government regulatory approvals.
That work has now progressed to the point where the
TradeLens solution is available through an early adopter
program and is expected to be fully commercially available
by the end of this year, IBM said. Partners who sign up can
begin using the TradeLens platform to build digital supply
chains that enable multiple trading partners to collaborate
by establishing a single shared view of a transaction without
compromising its details, privacy, or confidentiality, IBM
said in the announcement.
The TradeLens website defines the product as a neutral
industry platform that uses blockchain technology to promote a more predictable and secure exchange of information
between major industry players. That capability can break
information silos, streamline business processes, and maximize asset utilization, the site says.
WIDE-RANGING BENEFITS
Parties that stand to benefit from the approach include ship-
pers, shipping lines, freight forwarders, port and terminal
After 42 years with the company, Steve Raymond,
president of Raymond Handling Concepts Corp.,
has retired. … Warehouse automation solutions and software provider Swisslog Logistics
Automation Americas has named Michael
Felbinger vice president of its customer service division, a
group that provides 24/7 technical support to Swisslog customers around the globe. … Navis, a part of Cargotec Corp.
and provider of operational supply chain technologies, has
newsmakers
RAYMOND
