Japanese leaders in the ICT sector Fujitsu recently revealed that they would be diving into the world of blockchain with their very own international centre for innovation. Located in Brussels, the centre has been launched to help Fujitsu explore the potential of distributed ledger technologies like blockchain as a method of transforming the way that enterprises and consumers alike engage in everyday transactions.
The international centre will be undergoing research projects with a range of collaborators from outside of the Fujitsu network, as the company plans to collaborate on finding the best research possible to develop their blockchain strategy. The aim is to ultimately expand the potential of blockchain beyond its existing position in the financial services sector. Fujitsu believes that this innovative new technology could help to improve efficiency and transparency in a range of environments.
Unlocking the Potential of Blockchain
According to the leader of Fujitsu Benelux, Yves de Beauregard, the company has already seen huge amounts of interest from their customers, who want to learn more about how they might integrate blockchain technology into the business world. The innovation centre in Brussels should allow Fujitsu to dive deeper into the possibilities of blockchain as a technology and discover what it could mean to the businesses of tomorrow. After all, we’ve already seen the value that this solution brings to spaces that require an in-depth audit trail.
The fact that blockchain is an inherently transparent technology with recordings that are virtually impossible to change without the support of an entire network can help to create higher levels of trust in the commercial world. According to the Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium, Kris Peeters, Brussels may be the ideal place to launch an innovation centre dedicated specifically to the blockchain. He commented that most of Belgium’s economy is driven by innovation and growth.
Building Smarter Cities
While Fujitsu believes that the potential of blockchain is practically endless, one of the main areas of expertise that the company is planning on developing within the Innovation Centre is the opportunity to use blockchain for the implementation and design of new Smart City solutions. This will focus not only on the use of innovative technology but also on how blockchain can improve demographic and sociological factors within a futuristic society. The centre will encourage and support research for innovations in both Brussels and a range of other cities.
The Business Assurance and Presales director for Fujitsu Benelux, Frederik De Breuk noted that the brand is fully invested into exploring blockchain and that they believe that this technology will be key to creating the city of tomorrow. Research from the National League of Cities suggests that 66% of the globe will live in an urban area by the year 2050. As the world becomes increasingly urban, this will launch new challenges that governments need to address with infrastructure, housing, and even public safety.
The changing environments around us will lead to a greater adoption of smart cities, which can combine architecture and infrastructure with ICT to address a range of common problems within the environment, and economy. Thanks to the potential of blockchain in public ledger creation, this technology could be the key to a successful new ecosystem.
