Distributed ledger technologies are transforming existing business models and business relationships. In particular, blockchain allows non-trusting parties to manage a shared database in a decentralized way and improve the transparency, authenticity, and reliability of the exchanged data. Nonetheless, decentralized paradigms are not yet well established, resulting in only a fraction of blockchain-based applications being successful in the long term.In this paper, we present a blockchain-based solution for the electric vehicle supply chain that we designed in the context of the CONCORDIA project of the European Cybersecurity Competence Network. We describe the goals, the value proposition, the main design choices, and the architecture of our system. Moreover, we discuss the electric vehicle supply chain, analyzing the improvements and limitations introduced by our blockchain-based solution. We analyze our solution from the managerial and technical points of view through a lean business methodology for blockchain solutions. In particular, we developed an economic impact assessment to evaluate the potential costs and revenues of the application of blockchain technology in a supply chain context. Although the blockchain system is inspired by the supply chain of a multinational automotive company, it can be applied to any other multi-actor supply chain.

In the maritime sector, 5G enables innovative applications and services to improve efficiency, security, safety and optimise operations. In this context, it is interesting to identify the 5G-enabled applications that foster technological development in the maritime sector. We deploy the survey’s results performed in the context of the European project 5G-LOGINNOV and combine them with Twitter data. Thanks to words frequency and sentiment analysis, we found that in the maritime sector, there are several 5G technological enablers related to real-time information transfer. Furthermore, 5G-enabled applications for cybersecurity, are the most promising technologies.

Logistics 4.0 is a revolution based on information sharing and digitalization. Thus, Logistics 4.0 leads to the generation of huge amounts of data in short periods, and the data bloating problem must be addressed. One possible solution is the interplanetary file system (IPFS), which guarantees data replication and availability while limiting the storage of overlapping data. This study is the first literature review on IPFS and focuses on its application to the logistic sector. The main findings of this study are: the topic is gaining interest, but the solutions proposed in the literature were still in the early stages; IPFS was always coupled with the blockchain technology, and all of the authors used similar strategies to integrate them; the authors identified many advantages in the use of IPFS, but did not analyze in-depth the related disadvantages.

Since the global request for freight transportation is increasing as a consequence of the increasing requirements of the modern economy, logistics processes need to be optimized through the application of innovative technologies, to ensure a high level of quality, flexibility, and effectiveness in logistics operations. The adoption of innovative technologies allows the creation and development of new products and services, able to optimize the existing logistics processes and create value. In particular, one of the most promising technology for logistics applications is the 5G communication network that allows, together with companion technologies such as the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, and the Cloud, the collection, integration, and sharing of a large amount of data from different sources. However, to ensure the market adoption of innovative products and services, the different actors and stakeholders of the logistics chain must be involved from the early stages of the development. This allows them to keep into account their actual needs in the development process of the business models and for the future exploitation of the solutions. This paper analyzes the process of development of collaborative business models in the context of 5G-LOGINNOV, a project aimed at the development of 5G-based solutions to optimize the logistics operations in ports and retro-ports.

The recent technological progress has started a revolution in the logistic and supply chain environment, known as Logistics 4.0. Such a revolution is strongly based on information sharing and digitalization. For this reason, distributed ledger technologies (and blockchain in particular) are attracting the interest of countries and companies. However, the proper verification of data coming from oracles is a huge issue. This paper proposes a solution integrating Blockchain and IoT, by exploiting the enhanced data security and integrity provided by Narrowband-IoT. A preliminary performance evaluation of Hyperledger Fabric and Hyperladger Sawtooth is also presented.

This work aims to evaluate a set of Critical Success Factors (CSF) that are important for port operations optimization. Furthermore, a set of 5G enabled applications is evaluated based on their importance for two typologies of companies located in the port of Hamburg, Athens and Luka Koper. More specifically, the importance of CSFs and 5G enabled applications and services is assessed based on the point of views of respondents working for technological companies and companies involved in the port’s operations, using Multi Criteria Analysis. Finally, the relationship between the CSFs and 5G applications and services is considered based on the χ2test of hypothesis. Then, the possibility to promote 5G applications and services as CSF for port operations optimization which will in turn increase port competitiveness, is discussed.

Data Marketplace will be the engine of economic progress in smart cities. To foster the new Business Models of the Data and the Machine-to-Machine Economy, there are two needs: managing the plethora of sources of data and link them by a trusted, decentralized and scalable infrastructure. The two disruptive technologies able to foster this innovation are the Internet of Things (IoT) on the data-sources side and the Blockchain on the data marketplace side. In this paper we present a distributed data marketplace allowing different actors to purchase and monitor data streams coming from the smart city thanks to the use of IOTA technology, a Blockchain specifically developed for IoT networks. The marketplace is public and can be the starting point of other IOTA-based solutions.

Interest in City Logistics has been increasing among scholars, the industry, local administrations and various stakeholders. In particular, a number of projects have been developing with the aim of overcoming the negative impact of urban parcel delivery and making it more efficient and sustainable, from both the operations and environmental standpoints. However, most of these initiatives are more focused on technical solutions, regardless of the potential long-term economic feasibility and fitting with the stakeholders' needs. In order to take into account the actual feasibility of CL initiative, this paper presents the case study of the Urban Electronic Logistics (URBeLOG) project, carried out with the aim to develop an ICT platform to support and improve urban last-mile logistics in two pilot cities, namely Turin and Milan (Italy). The definition of the business model of the solution has been obtained through two sessions of the Business Model Canvas wherein all the partners of the project together with a representative of the public authority have taken part. The project combines the emphasis on the ICT solution with a stakeholder-driven approach to business model design.

Even though the first attempt to develop a vehicle-sharing system can be traced around 1950, only in the last decade it was possible to see an increase both in members and in service providers. This increase is mainly fostered by strong developments in the IT sector, which allow car-sharing companies to offer easier solutions to their members, such as vehicle localization and booking and electronic payments. A crucial point in setting up a car-sharing is to identify the willingness of the potential users to use the service. Aim of this study is to analyze this point through a survey, conducted on the summer of 2015, on the mobility behavior of the citizens in Turin, and their behavior toward car-sharing in particular. The main objective of this survey was to analyze how citizens changed their mobility behavior immediately after the introduction of the free-floating service mode. Furthermore, the survey was mainly focused on young persons, being this target of users more opened to innovations and more affected by budget limitations. Over a sample of about 1300 respondents (this number makes it one of the largest in the literature so far), more than 70% are male, in about 60% of the cases the age is between 18 and 24 years old, they mainly live in households of 4 persons, with 2 cars for each household.