Trace Alliance — a collaborative hub of firms, organizations, individuals, and institutions — was initiated with the aim of facilitating education, training and adoption of blockchain technologies in global supply chains. The formation of Trace Alliance was solidly based on the tangible experiences and requests received during the development of the popular Origin-Trail open-source protocol. We have been working intensely with various stakeholders and understand the challenges they have to address when considering blockchain technology. There is a clear need for collaboration and discussion in this area, which has been, and arguably still is, new to most stakeholders and decision-makers. After all, blockchain is viewed by scholars at Harvard Business School as ‘foundational’ and while it will take time to implement, the implications will be significant as it forms a foundational layer for transactional trust across society.

A Look Back — A Year of Experience Sharing and Growth

In the past year, a lot has been achieved and Trace Alliance is firmly established as one of the leading organizations in the field. John G. Keogh was appointed as the inaugural Trace Alliance Chairman for a one-year term in May 2018. John brought over 30 years of industry experience to the role. He previously held executive and leadership positions at organizations such as GS1, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq and Digital Equipment Corp. He has held roles such as SVP Traceability, Global CIO and Global VP of Supply Chain Management.

John G. Keogh

Mr. Keogh’s term was completed in June 2019 and the steering committee, comprised of OriginTrail’s founders, is grateful for his contribution.

The Trace Alliance website was launched exactly one year ago, in August 2018, which marked the increasing public awareness for the Alliance and since then, new membership applications have been on the rise.

Trace Alliance now boasts almost 100 members committed to collaboration in implementing novel, blockchain-based solutions to supply chains. Each member brings a new perspective and experience to the alliance, making it a truly diverse and collaborative hub.

Other activities that took place during the inaugural year of the Trace Alliance include: