A Japanese logistics company integrates sensors, RFID tags and blockchain to build a traceable system

A Japanese logistics company is planning to integrate the blockchain network into a new transportation system developed next year.

According to Nikkei, Japan Express plans to invest up to 100 billion yen (about 1 billion U.S. dollars) in a blockchain-based drug transport network. The Tokyo-based company plans to develop its own pharmaceutical production line starting in 2021, which will require real-time tracking of products through warehouses and will require quality control teams to update status.

Nippon Express will work with others at home and abroad to develop a blockchain-compatible pharmaceutical network. Accenture will build a sensor system to check the temperature of products in trucks and warehouses. In addition, Intel Japan will provide radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to track the location of each shipment.

The combination of these sensors and RFID tags will enable manufacturers, wholesalers and medical institutions to use the blockchain to track the drug development process in real time.

From the import of raw materials and products to the delivery of medical institutions, donations from Intel and Accenture will be installed throughout Nippon Express plants, warehouses and trucks. The data for each stage will be uploaded to the blockchain, providing the conditions, location and status of each shipment.