Application of blockchain technology in the shipping industry

Abstract

The shipping industry is the backbone of international trade and globalization. Shipping and ports are estimated to handle over 80% of global merchandise trade by volume. Compared with other modes of transportation, the main advantages of shipping are its transportation capacity, its direct access to global transportation networks, and its low freight rates. Shipping is a traditional and conservative industry that has experienced slow digitalization. Currently, numerous business scenarios through which the efficiency and effectiveness of shipping can be improved have been considered. These include the use of the Internet of Things, big data technology, artificial intelligence, and blockchain technology. This study focuses on the application of blockchain technology in the shipping industry. As a typical distributed transaction ledger, the main characteristics of blockchain include decentralization, openness and transparency, permanent storage, the ability to prevent tampering, and traceability. Blockchain can solve the problems of information non-interoperability, poor traceability of commodity information, large numbers of paper-based transactional documents, and the high risk of tampering, loss, and forgery of relevant documents, all of which are common in the shipping industry. This study first summarizes existing blockchain-based platforms and current projects in shipping activities. It then reviews relevant studies with respect to specific applications, their status and prospects, and their effects on the shipping industry. Finally, relevant research directions are suggested. 航运是国际贸易的重要桥梁, 全球超过80%的货运量由海上运输完成。相比于其他运输方式，航运的主要优势体现在运输能力、运输网络和运输价格。航运是较为传统和保守的行业，数字化程度低、进程慢，尚有大量的业务场景可以通过物联网、大数据、人工智能和区块链技术进行优化，本文着重讨论区块链技术在航运中的应用。区块链作为一种典型的分布式交易账本，具有去中心化、公开透明、永久存储且不可篡改和可溯源性等特征，适合于解决航运业中信息不互通、商品信息可追溯性差、交易过程中存在大量纸质文件且相关文件被伪造、篡改和丢失 的风险高等问题。本文总结了现有的航运区块链相关平台和项目，并对相关学术文献按照内容进行分类，从具体应用案例、应用现状及前景和对航运业的影响等方面进行了综述，然后讨论了区块链技术在航运中的应用情况、前景和挑战，最后提出了未来的相关研究方向。