Skip to main content

2019 ‘won’t be the year of blockchain’, says Fujitsu

Blockchain technology will not break through into the mainstream of the British transportation sector during 2019, according to Fujitsu. Blockchain has been touted as the solution to a number of transportation issues, but Chris Patton from Fujitsu’s EMEIA transport team urges caution. While acknowledging that the technology holds ‘exciting’ operational and commercial potential for the public transport sector, he says: “The key word there, though, is potential. While it is undeniable blockchain will ma
February 6, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

Blockchain technology will not break through into the mainstream of the British transportation sector during 2019, according to 5163 Fujitsu.

%$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external Blockchain false http://www.itsinternational.com/categories/classification-data-collection/features/blockchain-the-next-big-thing-for-its-really/ false false%> has been touted as the solution to a number of transportation issues, but Chris Patton from Fujitsu’s EMEIA transport team urges caution.

While acknowledging that the technology holds ‘exciting’ operational and commercial potential for the public transport sector, he says: “The key word there, though, is potential. While it is undeniable blockchain will make an impact, it is not yet infallible and can fall prey to cyber-attacks.”

He believes that there will instead be a plethora of small blockchain projects this year “so that technology partners can demonstrate to stakeholders the benefits”. This will then lead to take-up by bigger transport organisations.

Patton’s prediction is one of several trends which Fujitsu sees emerging over the next 12 months. In a similar vein, he sees local use cases as vital to generate sufficient momentum in public sector Mobility as a Service (8356 MaaS) projects “before national scale overhauls can be made”.

Other trends identified are the need for increased security as transport becomes more connected. “It’s crucial to remember that if they are ‘connected’ they can be compromised,” he adds.

“Throughout 2019, there will undoubtedly be more significant attacks on national organisations, across sectors, which sees customer data falling into the wrong hands,” he warns.

While autonomous vehicle ride-sharing stands to be a useful addition to public transport, “the dangers involved with data hacking mean vehicles and services must be as close to impenetrable as possible before they are made widely available to consumers”.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Lime and rivals form Nordic Micromobility Association
    August 29, 2019
    Lime and its competitors Tier and Voi have formed the Nordic Micromobility Association to promote safety standards for electric scooters. The association will seek to strengthen relationships between Nordic cities and micromobility businesses as well as reduce emissions. Earlier this year, Voi announced its plans to launch e-scooters in Lisbon as part of a wider ambition to expand in Europe. The association’s members are not the only companies working to improve the safety of e-scooters. Last ye
  • Uber introduces bus service in Egypt
    December 17, 2018
    Uber has launched its Uber Bus service in Egypt as part of a strategy to provide commuters living in Cairo with an affordable transportation option. The service can be accessed via Uber’s standard app. Uber groups passengers travelling in the same direction to make the service more affordable and reduce the number of stops per trip. Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber CEO, says: “We are committed to broadening access to the Uber platform with a range of low-cost options that will move more people around town an
  • Ford and Baidu to trial self-driving vehicles in China
    November 5, 2018
    Ford has joined forces with technology company Baidu to test Level 4 self-driving vehicles in China over the next two years. Level 4, established by the SAE International (formerly the US Society of Automotive Engineers), will allow the vehicles to operate without intervention from a human driver. A report by CNBC says Ford’s self-driving vehicles are equipped with Baidu’s autonomous driving system Apollo. The cars are expected to be deployed in on-road tests by the end of 2018. Sherif Marakby, pr
  • SVS-Vistek unveils ultra-high resolution camera
    March 21, 2018
    SVS-Vistek is showcasing a new, ultra-high resolution camera capable of taking photographs of up to 120 megapixels for ANPR purposes. The camera’s resolution is so great that it can be placed some distance from the scene – at the top of a high building, for example – and carry out ANPR surveillance over several streets simultaneously. Speed or red light enforcement are among the potential uses. The typical range of cameras used for ANPR purposes is five to 20 megapixels.