Three new projects using blockchain technology have been launched, including one for Gozo. This was announced on Tuesday by Minister for the Economy and Industry Silvio Schembri.

The Minister said that one of the projects concerns a proposal that is spearheaded by the Ministry for Gozo. He explained how Gozo is known for genuine products made on the island itself.

Through this project, which is being carried out between the Ministry for Gozo and the MDIA, using DLT, Gozitan products will be digitally labelled during the manufacturing cycle and the process will be documented within the system.

All information will be digitally certified by being linked to physical labels or stickers carried by the products themselves. When the consumer scans the QR Code of the product using a smartphone, he receives proof and assurance that the product was actually made in Gozo, and that there was no form of falsification.

Another project, which is spearheaded by the Department of Commerce within the Ministry for the Economy and Industry, will ensure that the digitisation of official documents relating to industrial property rights (trademarks, designs, patents) is registered on protected digital networks.

Therefore, new ideas, designs or patents need to be protected by trademark registration. This way, the developer can rest assured that the ownership, title, and business value of that idea will belong to them. This system ensures that the original records are always in the owner’s possession, who can then control how they are used, the Minister said.

The third project will see the strengthening of the Planning Authority through DLT. Here, Minister Schembri explained that the level of security on such sensitive documents will be bolstered. This will improve the transparency of the process, because if there is a change in the information in the Planning Authority’s data system, this change will be flagged due to a mismatch with what has been registered in the public blockchain system.

Minister Schembri said that blockchain, contrary to what one might think, goes beyond cryptocurrencies. Blockchain is a technology that can be used in many ways, as we are seeing in these three new services. Blockchain itself is a technology that, due to the way it is built, offers security, increased efficiency, visibility and immutability – which means that transactions recorded on blockchain cannot be tampered with.

Photo: DOI/Jeremy Wonnacott