Blockchain Living Lab in the Rhineland

Funded by: Ministry for Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization and Energy

Budget: € 1.2 million

Consortium: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, RWTH Aachen, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, RegioIT Aachen, Institute for Internet Security – if(is)

Goal: Initial setup of the living-labs

Project launch: 2020

Project end: December 31, 2020

In order to promote the use of blockchain technology in the region, the project Blockchain Reallabor im Rheinischen Revier (Blockchain Real-World Laboratory in the Rhenish Region) is funding the development of a real-world laboratory for blockchain applications in the Rhenish Region. The “Rheinische Revier” refers to the lignite mining region in the area between Aachen, Düsseldorf and Cologne. The project will develop practical examples of use that are both relevant to public services and serve as proof of the potential of blockchain technology, with a special focus on North Rhine-Westphalia and in particular on the industries represented in the Rheinische Revier (energy, production, logistics, finance and insurance). These use cases will serve as the basis for the creation of a blockchain real-world laboratory that implements network-based collaboration in the region and beyond. To this end, the project will involve stakeholders from science, business and start-ups, as well as associations from across North Rhine-Westphalia, in order to clarify important research questions and test the most promising blockchain applications in the emerging real-world laboratory.

Tasks of Fraunhofer INT:

• Assessment of the current situation and demand for distributed ledger technology with a focus on North Rhine-Westphalia
• Identify stakeholders and use cases based on the current and future potential of blockchain technology (the Science Observatory at Fraunhofer INT contributes to this in particular)
• Continuous technology scouting and monitoring process supported by an assistance system developed at INT (KATI – Knowledge Analytics for Technology & Innovation)
  
• Identification of organizational, political, social and legal framework conditions for the implementation of blockchain technology in the relevant industries
• Adapting and developing creative methods for stakeholder involvement in innovation processes