Supply Chain/Blockchain Friday Wrap — Week ending 23 November 2018Blockchain technology needs more time before the world to see the difference it can make to everyday lives. A lot of things have changed the past few years, which seemed impossible a few decades ago — how much more in 10 years time. Patience is key, let’s watch how blockchain will change the world.Here’s our weekly roundup of supply chain blockchain news!Expanded Microsoft Azure Blockchain Developers Kit Hits MarketMicrosoft is moving forward with their Azure development kit. It is a serverless blockchain-powered platform, and it will be available to developers globally. The product will be named “Azure Blockchain Development Kit”, and Microsoft claims that it will only add functionality to their Azure Blockchain Workbench.Click for source of photoThe new toolkit will add features like off-chain identity and data, messaging application programming interfaces (API) and data monitoring, all of which can be used to create blockchain-based apps.Supply Chain Wizard Ranked Among Fastest Growing Companies by NJBIZ Magazine in Annual “NJ Fast 50” ListSupply Chain Wizard has been named among New Jersey’s Fastest Growing Companies by NJBIZ Magazine. Its customers include pharmaceutical brand owners, contract manufacturers & packagers, wholesalers and third-party logistics providers.Though not yet five years old, Supply Chain Wizard has positioned itself at the forefront of two distinct waves in the pharmaceuticals industry. The recognition comes as the company shifts focus from compliance-driven serialization and track & trace initiatives to longer-term, comprehensive digital solutions in a post-serialization pharma landscape.Science and Food Ministries of South Korea to Utilize Blockchain for Tracking Meat Supply ChainThe government of South Korea, via its ministries of Food and Science, is set to use the blockchain technology to provide customers with more information about the food that they buy in the market.Click for source of photoThe blockchain technology will be used in a pilot program created by the government that will join forces from the Ministry of Science and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to start the tests. The tests are scheduled to start in December and the official launch of the program is set for January 2019.Microsoft Knocks out IBM for Enterprise Blockchain CrownMicrosoft’s Blockchain-as-a-Service (Baas) platform has taken the top spot in a ranking compiled by market foresight advisory firm ABI Research.IBM came second after Microsoft, and the two firms were leagues ahead of other vendors such as Oracle, Amazon, Alibaba, Baidu, Cisco, SAP, HPE, Huawei, and Tencent. ABI Research assessed the tech companies based on a wide range of innovation metrics.“Each vendor was analyzed on innovation metrics such as market penetration, proof of concepts and pilots, and ecosystem support, and implementation metrics such as platform diversity, primary features, developer resources, and integration with their own solutions,” wrote ABI Research.How Alibaba is championing the application of blockchain technology in China and beyondAlibaba is leading the pack in blockchain patent and they are proud of it. They are the most patented company in the world of blockchain technology. Out of the 406 patent applications related to blockchain in 2017, Alibaba had 43.Click for source of photoAlibaba’s financial arm, The Ant Financial blockchain 2.0 released has evolved from the initial blockchain 1.0 to become an open platform for self-operation and decentralization.The Chinese giant will pioneer efforts in the blockchain space than lose out on early gains of blockchain adoption. So far, it has adopted blockchain to fight food fraud, secure medical data and track cross-border shipments.Cargill And Getting More Turkeys On The BlockchainLast year, Cargill rolled out a first-of-its kind plan to put turkeys on the blockchain. Cargill’s birds came equipped with a tracking code powered by blockchain technology.Click for source of photoUpon receiving a turkey and scanning its barcode, the buyer was able to learn all kinds of things about the turkey — including information about the farm where it was raised, pictures of the turkey before it was on its way to being dinner and even data about the farmer who raised the turkey.Blockchain Firm Sweetbridge Collaborates With OrganiMark For Trade FinancingValue chain engineering and category management firm OrganiMark is collaborating with blockchain-based financial system Sweetbridge to deliver trade financing for Sustainable Cotton.The partnership will see the two companies provide a $20 million deal structure to finance the integrated value chains they support in South Africa. Sweetbridge’s protocol will provide cheaper cost of capital, near instant payments, reduced error rates for the entire value chain including major retail brands.The protocol will enable OrganiMark connect the economics of the farmer with the opportunities of global brands. The protocol will also act as a driver for businesses within the cotton value chain to engage more effectively in delivering the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).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.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 22 November 2018 was originally published in Sweetbridge on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.