Please describe your proposed solution.
The Challenge
DLT360’s overall mission is to drive real-world blockchain adoption in business and industry. After extensive preparations funded by Catalyst Fund 6, 7 and 8 and with a leadership team coming from major players in the manufacturing industry, DLT360 is now well prepared to tackle the most promising and value-creating Web3.0 supply chain applications. This project is addressing one of the biggest pain points in the Digital Transformation of business and industry: The remote access to field-installed sensors, actuators, machines and equipment (this addresses the access to IoT / IIoT devices, EDGE-devices with e.g. AI Algorithms, and - more general – the Digital Twins of physical systems).
The white frame in the graphic below shows, how the twinSHARE application fits into our overall DLT360 approach:
Our Approach and Deliverables
With this project, we establish a solid basis for the subsequent application development and scaling of twinSHARE as a dApp-product and service (MVP development planned for submission in Fund 12). Within this Fund 11 proposal, we will cooperate with well-known industry partners and academic domain experts and establish:
- A detailed Requirements Specification, which will cover:
- Market Analysis
- Regulatory Analysis
- Business Requirements regarding benefits ad risks
- UX and User-Requirements
- Analysis of implementation-relevant Enterprise Architectures and Business Processes
- Three representative Case Studies with Customer Business Value Proposition
- A detailed Technical Solution Specification, which will cover:
- Specification of Development Process, Development Tools and Documentation
- Specification of Application Lifecycle Management
- Relevant Standards (quality management, cybersecurity, open Source and alike)
- Specification of business interfaces and key deliverables derived from business requirements (e.g. transaction costs, transaction volume and speed determinism etc.)
- Specification of technical interfaces
- Solution Architecture
- Technology Stack
- Specification of frontend solution
- Specification of backend solution
- Integration and test specification
- Specification of PoC Process based on Design Thinking
- Outlook: Project development milestones and roadmap
- PoC under involvement of a pilot customer
- Preparation of Design Thinking process
- Execution of Design Thinking Workshop with pilot customer engagement
- Summary and documentation of results
- Business Model as basis for later development phase and scaling
- with Business Model Canvas
- Financial Planning
- Financing Concept
- Pitch-Deck: A short presentation introducing this exciting supply chain application, acting as pitch-deck for future investors in the subsequent development and commercial roll-out phase (as already mentioned, we plan to introduce the MVP development of this project also in Fund 12).
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- Promotion-Video: This is a short and concise promotion video, that explains the USP, benefits and ease-of-use-and-integration. Our goal is to integrate and share the feedback given by the supply-chain experts who are involved in the PoC process, in best case in form of powerful testimonials. This video will be used for getting attention and interest in the target group of supply-chain innovators within business and industry.
<u>As shown in the graphic above, this proposal is independent but nevertheless builds upon our overall DLT360 approach</u>, which focuses on creating an effective and efficient 'Launch Platform' for a multitude of scalable applications for business and industry. While substantial pre-work in the Knowledge-Management and ThinkTank Layer has already been completed thanks to funding by Fund 6, 7 and 8, our new Fund 11 proposals aim for completing our approach, allowing us to start the piloting-process with real-world pilot clients (see our 'Business Development Sandbox' proposal submitted under 'Use Cases: Solution').
<u>With this concept of twinSHARE</u> and two other important concepts for scalable applications (cardaBAN and auditSHARE, all three submitted under 'Use Cases: Concept'), we want to establish a solid basis for subsequent application development and scaling, hopefully already subject to submission to Fund 12. A fifth proposal can be found under Fund 11 'Cardano open: Ecosystem', focusing on investigating 'FUNDING & business opportunities based on the EU Digital Decade 2030 Program' for the benefit of the Cardano ecosystem.
All our Fund 11 proposals can be easily found by typing DLT360: into the IdeasScale search field.
Rationale
During the early years of Digital Transformation, access and life-cycle-management of Dital Twins, IIoT and IoT devices was handled in what is best described as the ‘Wild West Manner’. Latest since 2020, this has become too risky for the involved parties - mainly due to the following reasons:
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Cybersecurity regulations have become much stricter and have been expanded to the OT area (OT = Operations Technologies). Compliance to e.g. IEC63443 became the important state of the art. Neglecting this can be very costly and even lead to liabilities of the CEO and C-Suite of companies (e.g. in the case of systemically important businesses)
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Confidentiality, Data Privacy and ‘Data Ownership’: Complex collision of interests. Devices (sensors, actuators, algorithms) may be integrated into machines and machines are then integrated into factories: All parties (the original manufacturers of devices, the manufacturers of machines and the factory managers) want access to ‘their’ data, but the factories are more and more blocking remote access for avoiding any risks (thus jeopardizing the ‘digital’ business models of the underlying device and/or component vendors).
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Liability: Untransparent and uncontrolled access to field devices and Digital Twins can also lead to complex disputes in case something goes wrong (what Apple does with your iPad does not work with complex machines. In case of machine malfunctions after remote maintenance, very costly consequential damage can arise).
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Human Safety: Similar to the above-described liability for business interruption, remote access by external vendors might lead to dangerous situations when performed at the wrong moment. This is another reason why remote access is currently heavily restricted by factory managers and/or their security subcontractors.
This is why this project is touching a high-priority use case, where SSI, Blockchain (including the latest scaling layers) and Smart Contracts can add great value. twinSHARE is a door-opening and scalable Web3.0 application for supply-chains of the future. For a successful development and market acquisition, it is crucial to observe the following requirements:
- Understanding the hottest current pain points concerning the available solutions
- Alignment with existing real-world technology-stacks: Web 3.0 solutions must fit into existing enterprise architectures and technology stacks
- Regulatory compliance and future-proof approaches: Due to the dynamic landscape of Web3.0, it is not enough to just follow existing regulations. It is furthermore important to be closely engaged with authorities and organizations that are shaping the future.
- Specialist Expertise: The involvement of architects and business analysts is crucial for the market adoption of Web 3.0 tools
- Industrial Partnerships: Early collaboration with strategic partners from business, industry, academia and Web3.0 space is important for ensuring business relevance.
Strategy
Our strategy is set as follows:
- Assemble a strong team of business analysts, architects, and developers. People and partner-network are key for our success.
- Establish a solid Requirements and Solution Specification: A lot has changed and is currently changing in the Web3.0 world and in the political and economic environment around it. Before developing the technical solutions, we therefore take another deep-dive into the latest requirements. This shall ensure that whatever we develop is relevant and provides the required business benefit.
- Proximity to European Union Digital Decade 2030 Program. This program is currently the strongest approach worldwide and is - despite all political difficulties - aiming for utilizing Digital Commons and creating a Next Generation Internet as am 'Internet for Humans'. We will take a critical stance, but work in close proximity to the major actors, organizations and authorities. This brings us also closely together with renowned players from business and industry.
- Early engagement of pilot customers in form of participation in the specification and PoC process
- Creating appealing promotion material (pitch-deck and promotion video) for creating attention and interest
- Professional preparation of subsequent development and scaling by creating a solid business model and financial planning
Summary
Due to the dynamics of technical developments and regulation, the coming 2 to 3 years might still be difficult for seeing large-scale applications in mainstream business and industry. Nevertheless, this is the time for gaining knowledge and performing Proof-of-Concepts. With the twinSHARE application we want to shape one of the key-applications of Web3.0 in the supply-chain of the future. Together with our overall DLT360 Business Launch Platform we want to actively use the window of opportunity for PoCs during 2024 and 2025, thus being ready when business and industry will be ready to scale in 2026 and beyond.