Hello, and welcome to our special Think 2021 edition of Blockchain News You Can Use. This issue focuses on the blockchain sessions at Think 2021 and some of our special guests. Mark your calendar for May 11 (Americas) and May 12 (APAC, Japan and EMEA) and:

• Register for Think
• Sign up for Think 2021 emails to receive scheduling alerts

Read on to plan your blockchain curriculum.

Blockchain Think 2021 sessions share a common theme: using blockchain is a proven approach for solving ecosystem-level challenges. As such, what is generally labeled “enterprise blockchain” will continue to lead in multi-party computing solutions as blockchain innovations continue to emerge in 2021.

Register now and plan your sessions for Think 2021

Here’s a look at recent news about enterprise blockchain, along with related Think 2021 sessions.

Automotive manufacturers have to ensure that all the parts they use comply with safety regulations, an ideal data-sharing problem for blockchain, as demonstrated by Groupe Renault in its XCEED project.

• Session: Is It Time to Stop Talking About Blockchain?
  Martha Bennett, VP, Principal Analyst, Forrester, and Odile Panciatici, Blockchain VP, Groupe Renault, look at ecosystem opportunities to increase agility, take out cost and monetize solutions. Learn how blockchain is the rising tide that will lift all ships.

Using blockchain and collaboration will help to close the trade finance gap for micro, small and midsized enterprises (MSMEs) in developing nations.

• Session: Advancing Global Trade: Connect Better with Trust
  Oswald Kuyler, Managing Director, DSI, International Chamber of Commerce, joins IBM to review how banks are co-creating neutral blockchain-based platforms to lower cost, increase trust and secure future growth.

Blockchain transparency will play a key role in decarbonizing industry through the efforts of a new World Business Council for Sustainable Development initiative, the Carbon Transparency Pathfinder.

• Session: Carbon Transparency Pathfinder for Decarbonization
  Learn about this new initiative for wide-scale, consistent and safe exchange of product-level primary carbon emissions data from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Anna Stanley.

COVID-19 sent shockwaves through several supply chains and accelerated change. Post-pandemic, supply chains are retooling for the new (ab)normal.

• Session: Inching Closer to the Autonomous Supply Chain: How Blockchain, IoT, and AI are Enabling Automation Across Companies
  Cross-company workflow automation requires real-time insight as well as multi-actor trust and consensus—pre-requisites that are finally becoming attainable. Hear from pioneers in this space, including Chris Day from Sonoco and Robin Grumman-Vogt from eProvenance.

Almost 90 percent of US and Canadian higher education institutions are using digital credentials to increase efficiency and reduce fraud, with blockchain seen as playing a role in increasing trust.

• Session: Digital Credentials, Blockchain and the Transition to a Skills-Based Economy
  Ricardo Torres, CEO, National Student Clearinghouse, Darin Hobbs from Western Governors University and David Langdon, Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of Commerce join IBM’s Alex Kaplan in relating their collaborative journey to build the blockchain-based Learning Credential Network.

April’s features of “watch, read and listen”

Digital event: Blockchain Opportunity Summit
Sponsored by IBM, this immersive digital event will focus on connecting business leaders with leading experts to tackle business-critical challenges, create new monetization opportunities and drive industry collaboration. Join us May 25 – 26.

Blog: A New Paradigm for Financial Services
Digital assets, their gargantuan increase in market cap, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are the hottest topics in blockchain these days. Find out what impact they will have on the financial services industry.

Interactive tour: IBM Food Trust
Experience IBM Food Trust modules by following a fruit-and-nut bar from farm to store and see how the solution can increase supply chain efficiency across the network of growers, processors, manufacturers, distributors and retailers.

Video: Preserving the quality and integrity of wine with blockchain
Learn how the blockchain-based VinAssure network convened by eProvenance unlocks supply chain efficiencies and assures proper handling of wide in transit.

Case study: The Home Depot
Trust plays a critical role in building relationships with suppliers and using blockchain and automation to quickly resolve vendor invoicing disputes.

Our solutions and how to get started

No matter where you are in your adoption journey or what industry you’re in, we’re here to help you use blockchain technology to reach your business goals.

• Start that project you’ve been talking about with help from IBM Blockchain Services, and watch this demo to learn more about how our Design Thinking workshops get you started in the right direction.
• Join one of our existing networks:
  • Create a smarter, more sustainable food system with Food Trust
  • Transform container logistics with TradeLens
  • Reinvent trade and trade finance with we.trade
  • Streamline supplier management with Trust Your Supplier
  • Connect job seekers, learners and jobs with Learning Credential Network
• Jump start your journey to building your own supply chain ecosystem with IBM Blockchain Transparent Supply or take advantage of a range of reusable solutions on IBM Blockchain Platform.

Still not sure where to start? Schedule time to talk with one of our experts specific to your industry, and they can help guide you in the right direction.

We’ll be back next month with more news you can use from IBM Blockchain. In the meantime, if someone forwarded you this email and you’d like to subscribe, sign up here.

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