Blockchain technology has been revolutionizing multiple facets of businesses with different innovative use cases that continue to evolve to date. From food safety to trade finance to supply chain, blockchain is an engine that will change the way the world does business. Its potential to eliminate paperwork, enable new business models and improve transparency and traceability is unmatched.Here are some highlights of the supply chain on the blockchain this past week!Blockchain startup founded by Deloitte veterans unveils supply chain platformA blockchain startup headed by a group of former Deloitte employees is launching a new supply chain platform — SUKU. The SUKU ecosystem is positioned as “an industry agnostic supply chain solution” that seeks to improve how shipments are coordinated and tracked around the world.Click for source of photoSUKU aims to provide trading partners with real-time data on the location of goods, along with functionality that lets them use a bid-and-order marketplace and create automated contracts. At the same time, the platform is designed to offer privacy to those users, and will effectively serve as a “supply chain-as-a-service” hub. So far it has generated interest from five industries: vaccines, commodities, electronics, honey, and defense.IBM, Maersk roll out blockchain-based shipping platformMaersk and IBM followed up their January announcement with the news they’ve created TradeLens, a blockchain-based shipping platform designed to bring the technology to the world’s global supply chain. It’s designed to promote improved efficiency and security for global trade by bringing together various partners for information sharing, innovation, and transparency.Click for source of photoTradeLens claims to be able to reduce transit times by up to 40%. Over 150 million shipping events have already been captured on the platform, including arrival times, customs releases, invoices, and bills of lading. The data continues to grow at a rate of nearly one million events per day. The TradeLens solution is available today through the Early Adopter Program and is expected to be fully commercially available by the end of this year.Blockchain being put to work by IBM, Intel, CDC to combat opioid epidemicWorking with CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, IBM has made strides developing a blockchain-enabled health surveillance system that makes it easier for public health agencies to survey hospitals and physicians about their patients and prescription practices. The work has included surveys to collect data on patients seeking care and how doctors prescribe antibiotics and opioids.Click for source of photoIntel also embarked on innovating another approach to fighting prescription drug abuse. In a pilot project with pharma industry giants (including McKesson and Johnson & Johnson), Intel is developing ways to deploy blockchain as a means to better trace how pills are distributed from point to point.How to disrupt retail: Robotics, AI, and BlockchainGeneration NEXT Franchise Brands, Inc., with a new corporate identity, has an expanding portfolio of innovative technologies in the ‘unattended’ retail space. It has become a full-scale developer of robotics, blockchain and AI platforms designed to disrupt traditional retail and establish themselves as an industry leader in the emerging and fast growing space of unattended retail.Click for source photoThe company is developing and deploying AI and blockchain solutions to solve real world problems in food retail such as incorporated proximity sensors into its robotic vending kiosks to analyze different sets of data and how well it relates to each other in order to determine consumers’ behavior patterns.Generation NEXT will soon be deploying a custom-developed blockchain solution, based on smart contracts, for partners and franchisees to both manage the supply chain and transact amongst themselves and the company, ensuring that both the supply chain and payments are transparent, accountable, instant and on-demand.Blood diamonds To blockchain diamonds?It’s IBM again! This time it is with IBM’s TrustChain initiative, a consortium which uses blockchain technology to track and authenticate diamonds, precious metals and jewellery at all stages of the global supply chain, from mine to retailer. With this kind of blockchain, everything is decentralized, which means anyone can go into a ledger and see the movement of a particular stone or set of stones. It’s about transparency, proving to consumers that their purchases don’t include conflict metals or blood diamonds, and are ethically-sourced.Click for source of photoConsumers are willing to pay extra for a digital copy verifying provenance of the materials used in their engagement rings. Business is an exchange where one needs proof of trust — Blockchain brings these proofs.Humanity.co android app launches: Can blockchain bring property rights to your data?Humanity.co announced the general availability of its Android app that would enable people to claim their data as property using blockchain technology. Its data ownership model would enable people to be reimbursed for use of their data and consumers could choose to donate information for medical research and other uses.Click for source of photoThe general idea behind Humanity.co is that data should be property and have a title of ownership and deed. By classifying data as property individuals would have more rights.NetworkNewsBreaks — Pacific Software, Inc. (PFSF) to support international trade with Blockchain eCommerce platformPacific Software recently signed a definitive agreement with Cobalt 47 Technologies LTD, a spin-off of KBQuest Group, to begin construction of its proprietary e-commerce trade platform. PFSF initally may target Brazil’s substantial beef exports to China.The advantages of implementing a blockchain system for Brazilian meat exports are many. The blockchain will ensure transparency and trust with regard to origin, product quality, product safety and other factors.Want to know more about Sweetbridge?Sweetbridge is an open-source project unlocking the value trapped in assets, payment delays, and corporate talent. Our Blockchain-based ‘tools for commerce’ help companies, countries and individuals to find a better way to trade and innovate.To join the movement go to https://sweetbridge.com/crowdsale and click “Register Now”.Join our discussion in Sweetbridge telegram channel to learn more about Sweetbridge and its products.Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Telegram | Reddit | InstagramSupply Chain/Blockchain Friday Wrap — Week ending 07 September 2018 was originally published in Sweetbridge on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.