Periodic Reporting for period 1 - TruBlo (Trusted and reliable content on future blockchains)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2020-09-01 al 2021-08-31
The main vision of TruBlo is to nurture and facilitate beyond the state of the art research on blockchain technology which will lead to more scalable blockchain based solutions and applications which will contribute in ensuring the exchange of trustworthy and reliable content on social networks and media. To achieve this, TruBlo implements three open calls that will target both academic and R&D companies, inviting them to define and implement small scale research projects.
Nowadays, we have the technology, scientific intelligence and methodology to approach, design and implement these concepts. We have new approaches in P2P systems, cryptocurrencies, and blockchain ledgers that can make the vision of TruBlo a reality and can provide a common reference for: distributed and decentralised systems for collaboration; advanced security and privacy frameworks; increased levels of trust over open trustless infrastructures; modelling and interoperability frameworks; social networks analytics etc. By applying automated, encoded and technology based levels of trust for both users and content shared on Next Generation Internet, new capabilities are being offered for societies and markets. In overall, the TruBlo’s approach will provide the way where economic value can be generated from trustworthy human transactions and media content sharing.
The following objectives are set for the TruBlo project:
Objective 1 - To nurture and facilitate breakthrough and beyond the state-of-the-art research results on blockchain technologies in the area of social networks and media.
Objective 2 - To implement a series of three open calls that will enable the selection of the most promising and scientifically excellent teams to research and innovate on blockchain technologies and applications.
Objective 3 - To provide added value through consolidating the research outcomes of the open calls and to provide knowledge transfer activities within academia and industry for wider uptake.
Objective 4 - To offer a set of supporting services that will contribute as added value to third parties.
Objective 5 - To create an ecosystem of stakeholders who will guide the participating teams, SMEs and entrepreneurs in order to have a continuous interaction and close relation with academia, industry, standardisation bodies and development communities.
Objective 6 - To enable innovative blockchain-based business models for the media industry and provide an extensive replicability and best practices framework.
Nowadays, we have the technology, scientific intelligence and methodology to approach, design and implement these concepts. We have new approaches in P2P systems, cryptocurrencies, and blockchain ledgers that can make the vision of TruBlo a reality and can provide a common reference for: distributed and decentralised systems for collaboration; advanced security and privacy frameworks; increased levels of trust over open trustless infrastructures; modelling and interoperability frameworks; social networks analytics etc. By applying automated, encoded and technology based levels of trust for both users and content shared on Next Generation Internet, new capabilities are being offered for societies and markets. In overall, the TruBlo’s approach will provide the way where economic value can be generated from trustworthy human transactions and media content sharing.
The following objectives are set for the TruBlo project:
Objective 1 - To nurture and facilitate breakthrough and beyond the state-of-the-art research results on blockchain technologies in the area of social networks and media.
Objective 2 - To implement a series of three open calls that will enable the selection of the most promising and scientifically excellent teams to research and innovate on blockchain technologies and applications.
Objective 3 - To provide added value through consolidating the research outcomes of the open calls and to provide knowledge transfer activities within academia and industry for wider uptake.
Objective 4 - To offer a set of supporting services that will contribute as added value to third parties.
Objective 5 - To create an ecosystem of stakeholders who will guide the participating teams, SMEs and entrepreneurs in order to have a continuous interaction and close relation with academia, industry, standardisation bodies and development communities.
Objective 6 - To enable innovative blockchain-based business models for the media industry and provide an extensive replicability and best practices framework.
During the first four months of the project (September to December 2020), our activities were essentially focused on preparatory work to ensure a successful launch of the first Open Call. During these first months we concentrated on designing our communication strategy to create awareness on TruBlo and our future Open Calls, refine the strategic challenges that we were going to propose to our Open Call applicants, prepare all the logistics around the launch of the Open Calls, and set up all the technical infrastructure and assets that we were going to put at the disposal of the selected Open Call applicants.
With the launch of the first Open Call on 18 January 2021, our activities were instead essentially focused on ensuring the successful completion of that call, starting with extensive dissemination campaigns to communicate launch details, objectives and support that interested applicants could get, management of the potential applicants and reception of their proposals, selection of a panel of external experts to assist the consortium in the evaluation of the applications, interviews and final selection of applicants, and contractual and financial procedures with the 10 applicants that were finally selected. The selected projects started their activities by mid-July, and with that, we also started our support activities, by first assigning TruBlo mentors to them. In the meantime, the second Open Call was launched on 14 June 2021, starting again all activities related to the launch of that call (this second call closed on 10 September 2021, and hence at the time of writing this report this call is also closed, but the related activities belong to the next reporting period).
With the launch of the first Open Call on 18 January 2021, our activities were instead essentially focused on ensuring the successful completion of that call, starting with extensive dissemination campaigns to communicate launch details, objectives and support that interested applicants could get, management of the potential applicants and reception of their proposals, selection of a panel of external experts to assist the consortium in the evaluation of the applications, interviews and final selection of applicants, and contractual and financial procedures with the 10 applicants that were finally selected. The selected projects started their activities by mid-July, and with that, we also started our support activities, by first assigning TruBlo mentors to them. In the meantime, the second Open Call was launched on 14 June 2021, starting again all activities related to the launch of that call (this second call closed on 10 September 2021, and hence at the time of writing this report this call is also closed, but the related activities belong to the next reporting period).
The TruBlo project will deliver a set of concrete and added value main results:
Result 1: TruBlo Open Calls: three open calls that will enable the sourcing of 45 scientific and entrepreneurs teams.
Result 2: TruBlo tools and supporting services: a toolset and suite of supporting services that facilitate the derivation of high-impact research on blockchain technologies.
Result 3: TruBlo scientific results and MVPs: a sustainable and general purpose trust/privacy enhancing technology framework that will increase the trust, security and privacy on the blockchain nodes and the applications that run on top of it by filtering out any sensitive (e.g. personal) information.
Result 4: TruBlo Ecosystem: an ecosystem of stakeholders in the area of Next Generation Internet and Blockchain related technologies including experts, VCs, entrepreneurs, academia, etc.
Result 5: Replication plan: a parameterised model on how to further replicate the TruBlo scientific results and MVPs.
All these results will derive in several potential impacts:
Increasing content reliability for industry
Businesses operate in complex and volatile markets, relying on a broader network of third parties and becoming increasingly digitised, and in many cases putting their reputations in the hands of social media influencers. Consequently, most businesses have escalated prevention and detection of fake news as a top priority in their business risk management strategies.
Supporting content fact-checking and verification against disinformation
Disinformation refers to deliberately spreading false or manipulated information with a view to alter public opinion. Widespread disinformation influences how media consumers react to and interpret news content. It can increase the polarisation of opinions and lead to a decline in the public trust in traditional news journalism, expert sources or civic and governmental frameworks.
Driving the uptake of blockchain in the media industry
In recent years, the media industry has been faced with a number of problems connected to essential aspects of long-term survival. Blockchain technologies are expected to play a significant role in supporting solutions to solve some of these issues, such as introduction of process automation, offering secure personalisation and customer data, ensuring copyright protection, maintaining audience and societal trust, or ensuring content authenticity.
Supporting solutions for social and environmental problems
Blockchain technology can have a strong impact in markets now neglected or underserved by financial institutions. It makes financial products more inclusive, guaranteeing faster and cheaper bank transfers. This is most profound for the most vulnerable populations with no formal economic identity, as well as the refugees. Equal footing is ensured for even the smallest producers and suppliers.
Blockchain technology is also uniquely positioned to enable more efficient control of GHG and reporting/evaluation of the environment. It can also serve as a tool for monitoring sustainability performance required under the Paris Agreement, as well as within company's own targets.
Result 1: TruBlo Open Calls: three open calls that will enable the sourcing of 45 scientific and entrepreneurs teams.
Result 2: TruBlo tools and supporting services: a toolset and suite of supporting services that facilitate the derivation of high-impact research on blockchain technologies.
Result 3: TruBlo scientific results and MVPs: a sustainable and general purpose trust/privacy enhancing technology framework that will increase the trust, security and privacy on the blockchain nodes and the applications that run on top of it by filtering out any sensitive (e.g. personal) information.
Result 4: TruBlo Ecosystem: an ecosystem of stakeholders in the area of Next Generation Internet and Blockchain related technologies including experts, VCs, entrepreneurs, academia, etc.
Result 5: Replication plan: a parameterised model on how to further replicate the TruBlo scientific results and MVPs.
All these results will derive in several potential impacts:
Increasing content reliability for industry
Businesses operate in complex and volatile markets, relying on a broader network of third parties and becoming increasingly digitised, and in many cases putting their reputations in the hands of social media influencers. Consequently, most businesses have escalated prevention and detection of fake news as a top priority in their business risk management strategies.
Supporting content fact-checking and verification against disinformation
Disinformation refers to deliberately spreading false or manipulated information with a view to alter public opinion. Widespread disinformation influences how media consumers react to and interpret news content. It can increase the polarisation of opinions and lead to a decline in the public trust in traditional news journalism, expert sources or civic and governmental frameworks.
Driving the uptake of blockchain in the media industry
In recent years, the media industry has been faced with a number of problems connected to essential aspects of long-term survival. Blockchain technologies are expected to play a significant role in supporting solutions to solve some of these issues, such as introduction of process automation, offering secure personalisation and customer data, ensuring copyright protection, maintaining audience and societal trust, or ensuring content authenticity.
Supporting solutions for social and environmental problems
Blockchain technology can have a strong impact in markets now neglected or underserved by financial institutions. It makes financial products more inclusive, guaranteeing faster and cheaper bank transfers. This is most profound for the most vulnerable populations with no formal economic identity, as well as the refugees. Equal footing is ensured for even the smallest producers and suppliers.
Blockchain technology is also uniquely positioned to enable more efficient control of GHG and reporting/evaluation of the environment. It can also serve as a tool for monitoring sustainability performance required under the Paris Agreement, as well as within company's own targets.