Blockchain

Currently, business and politics are intensively dealing with the challenges and potentials of digitalization. It is becoming clear that developments in the context of blockchain technology will have a major influence on the design and implementation of digital business and administrative processes.
Even though the technology still has fundamental research and development challenges in all areas, it is already possible to foresee the enormous possibilities. Currently, most of the practical use cases of blockchain and the smart contracts based on it can certainly be found in the financial sector. Beyond that, however, blockchains can find application in all areas that involve recording, proving, or transacting any type of contract or object.
For example, the technology can facilitate billing in the increasingly popular car-sharing services or map a complete commercial register. The Internet of Things in particular, with its countless snippets of data sent back and forth with measured values, orders and identity checks, benefits from the automated as well as audit- and tamper-proof process.
In recent years, there has been an almost explosive development of more and more new use cases and an unmanageable number of new players, from various start-ups to technology companies to newly formed consortia. Private individuals, governments, NGOs, universities, research organizations and venture capitalists are also researching and developing the next "killer apps."

Numerous institutes in the Fraunhofer ICT Group are helping to translate current scientific findings in this still young research field into practical, integrative applications. In the content collection below, you will find links to experts, articles, videos, whitepapers and position papers that deal with blockchain technology.

Detour disruption: Interview with blockchain expert Prof. Dr. Gilbert Fridgen from Fraunhofer FIT.

The big blockchain interview in three parts

(in German only - please activate translation subtitles in the videos)


 

Part 1

Detour disruption: Where does blockchain technology stand today? After the hype surrounding cryptocurrencies, smart contracts and the like, it's time to take stock: Prof. Dr. Gilbert Fridgen, head of the Blockchain Lab at Fraunhofer FIT, explains the transformation the technology has undergone: What remains of the concern that entire business areas and industries would become obsolete as a result of blockchain? What are the biggest hurdles in its implementation and how can German SMEs benefit from this technology?

Part 2

The magic notebook: what actually makes a blockchain a blockchain? Blockchains are considered secure - but which components are actually so difficult to crack? Will these processes soon be obsolete? Which data and processes are better not handled via blockchains? What about resource consumption? And why might private blockchains make more sense than public ones?

Part 3

Of clauses and visions: What challenges does blockchain hold for politics, society and business? Even beyond the ubiquitous cryptocurrencies, there are a multitude of other possible applications. Using the example of smart contracts, Fridgen explains where blockchains are already successfully in use today and what developments the Fraunhofer Blockchain Lab is driving forward. In view of the increasing importance of blockchains, however, not only the economy is challenged, but also the legislator.

 

 

Download

Blockchain and Smart Contracts

Position paper of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (November 2017)

 

Blockchain Lab at Fraunhofer FIT

 

Fraunhofer InnoVisions

Featured articles on Blockchain

in German only

 

Scientific Publications on Blockchain

 

Blockchain Strategy of the German Government

 

Supply Chain

Blog on Blockchain

A blockchain blog dedicated to supply chain, built on top of a blockchain application

 

Architecting Blockchain-Based Applications

Article series on architecting blockchain-based applications

 

Identity Management

Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies

In German only

 

Smart Contracts demonstrators

 

Project

Blockchain for Education

In German only

Articles, lectures an podcasts on Blockchain

In German only

 

Fachvortrag

Blockchain zum Verstehen und Mitreden

"Blockchain to understand and to talk with"

Die Blockchain-Technologie prägnant und verständlich erklärt

von Prof. Gilbert Fridgen (Fraunhofer FIT) auf dem Fachsymposium am 18. Mai 2017 in Berlin

 

Videoartikel auf Fraunhofer-InnoVisions

»Vielleicht eine Kette von Blogs?«

"Maybe a chain of blogs?"

Im Video: die Straßenumfrage »Was ist Blockchain?«

 

Fraunhofer InnoVisions

Blockchain – Weit mehr als nur Bitcoin!

"Blockchain – Much more than just Bitcoin!"

Podcast zu Grundlagen, Anwendungen und Potenzialen der Blockchain-Technologie

»Anwendung und Potenziale der Blockchain-Technologie«

"Application and Potentials of Blockchain Technology."

Fachsymposium am 18. Mai 2017

Whitepaper

Blockchain

Grundlagen, Anwendungen und Potentiale (2016)