Airbus, Rolls-Royce Seeking Blockchain Air Parts Traceability Solution

The aerospace industry is looking to blockchain technology in an effort to monitor safety and improve traceability in the supply chain.

According to Reuters, industry giants such as Airbus and engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce are now active in the field, with the former looking to recruit blockchain architects. Airbus has also formed a special blockchain unit, which will look at ways in which the technology could be applied.

An Airbus official said, per Reuters, “Blockchain could improve the tracking of goods and become a complement to, not a wholesale replacement of, suppliers’ procurement software.”

Rolls-Royce, meanwhile, claims to be “rapidly developing blockchain solutions and says it sees “opportunities to automate records for complex products that currently require significant manual effort.”

A number of airlines have already expressed a keen interest in developing blockchain solutions, with the likes of Lufthansa, Air New Zealand and British Airways already working with blockchain startups on ambitious projects.

Last year, Air France also said it was looking into the possibility of using blockchain platforms to improve its aircraft maintenance operations.

American flight control systems producer Moog, meanwhile, is working on a blockchain-powered platform it will use to track aircraft parts created using 3-D printers.

Meanwhile, yesterday, automakers such as BMW, Ford, General Motors, Renault, alongside with partners from the blockchain and other industries launched the Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative (MOBI), which aims to explore blockchain in order to make transportation safer, more affordable, and more widely accessible, as reported.