This Agenda, “Descentralizar Portugal com Blockchain” (Decentralize Portugal with Blockchain), establishes a nationwide coalition to use blockchain technology to foster innovation and seize international business opportunities. Coordinated by VOID Software and comprising 56 entities, including companies, research institutions, associations, and public bodies, the project is organized into ten work packages addressing sectors like agriculture, digital asset management, and interoperability. With an investment exceeding 72 million euros, the agenda aims to launch 26 scalable products with significant export potential. Key focuses include “farm-to-fork” traceability integrating IoT with blockchains, managing digital assets in real estate and beyond, and interoperability solutions for data exchange between diverse blockchain systems and technologies across sectors. The end goal is to propel Portugal to the forefront of blockchain technology in Europe and advance the country’s digital transformation.

The BLOCKCHAIN.PT project is funded by Next Generation EU through the Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência (PRR). More information regarding the project is available here.

According to its mission, INESC-ID is pursuing research focused on the following key areas:

– Development and integration of blockchain and IoT technologies for “farm-to-fork” traceability, aiming to enhance transparency and reliability in the agri-food supply chain.

– Research into digital asset management systems, focusing on creating secure and efficient frameworks for managing digital assets, leveraging blockchain for enhanced trust and reduced fraud.

– Exploration of smart contracts for automating transactions and agreements, reducing the need for intermediaries, and enhancing process efficiency.

– Design of interoperability protocols and standards, to enable seamless communication and data exchange between different blockchain platforms and systems, across sectors.

– Formulation of strategies for blockchain infrastructure to support high-volume transactions in digital asset management and supply chain traceability.

These R&D activities are aimed at advancing the state-of-the-art in blockchain applications for supply chains, digital assets management, and cross-platform interoperability.