Blockchain for the Circular Economy – Conception and Evaluation of Blockchain-based Digital Twins
Only six percent of the materials processed worldwide are recycled. In addition, the global challenges of climate change, the increasing scarcity of raw materials and the pollution of the environment result in the need for more recycling of material flows. The detachment from the “take-make-dispose” idea and the development towards a circular economy do not only serve as a relief for the environment, but also open up enormous saving potentials for companies.
Nevertheless, the introduction of circular economy approaches which are reflected by closing product and material cycles and reprocessing waste is hampered by information asymmetries. Due to the lack of a continuous information flow along the supply chain and because of the high coordination effort required for integrating the actors, information about a product is often not available to realize effective recycling. In this context, a blockchain-based digital twin offers potential for improving the flow of information.
The Institute of Business Logistics and General Management (LogU) of the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) under the scientific direction of Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Wolfgang Kersten has been working together with the Kühne Logistics University (KLU) on the IUTA project "Blockchain for the Circular Economy" since December 2020.
The aim of the project is to conceptualize digital twins based on the blockchain technology and to evaluate them regarding the benefits for supply chains in the circular economy. Against this background, use cases for blockchain-based digital twins in supply chains of the circular economy are examined using various qualitative and quantitative research methods, suitable products are classified, digital twins are conceptualized and strategic implications for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are derived. Based on this, a decision support tool for SMEs will be created, which informs about the technical scope associated with the use of blockchain-based digital twins as well as about strategic, ecological and economic effects.
Project of the „Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF)“, project number: 21272 N / 1
AiF research association: Institut für Energie- und Umwelttechnik e.V. (IUTA)
Contact Person:
Beverly Grafe
Research Associate
E-Mail: beverly.grafe@tuhh.de
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kersten
Head
Phone: +49 40 42878 3525
