Robert Alizon is the Chief IP Officer at nChain. Robert holds an Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master in IP Law. He started his career working in R&D on semiconductor technology, after which he moved to the world of IP serving in leadership roles in several sectors such as automotive, tobacco and a new venture builder. Robert is a regular speaker at IP conferences and webinars and recently co-authored a book on IP management for start-ups. He teaches preparation courses for the Swiss patent attorney qualifying examination and at the European Patent Institute (EPI), where he tutors candidates taking the European Patent Attorney examination.

Strategizing IP to democratize blockchain

The blockchain space is entering a period of competition between blockchain technologies that are progressing toward widespread adoption. This period is an exciting opportunity for blockchain to demonstrate its utility as a key component of applications and introducing the possibility to reward user ownership on the internet. The talk will address the current patent landscape highlighting strength of the players and introduce strategic consideration of how IP can be leverage to democratize blockchain technologies.

Meryeme Ayache serves as an Assistant Professor and Cybersecurity researcher at INPT (Institut National des Postes et Telecommunications) in Morocco. She earned her diploma in Cybersecurity Engineering and completed her PhD at ENSIAS (Ecole Natoinale Supérieure d’Informatique et d’Analyse des Systèmes), Mohammed V University in Rabat. Throughout her doctoral studies, she was recognized as a young researcher and invited to two renowned laboratories at Technische Universität Darmstadt and Philipps-Universität Marburg in Germany. Presently, she actively engages in international collaborations with the University of Dubai, Zayed University of Abu Dhabi, and Faissal University, KAUS. Meryeme's research focuses on Cybersecurity, emphasizing the application of Blockchain technology in healthcare, Cloud/Edge computing & IoT, and the integration of AI (Artificial Intelligence) in cybersecurity.

How can Blockchain and AI save our lives?

The integration of blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare holds immense promise for enhancing service quality and ultimately saving lives. Blockchain technology ensures the secure and transparent sharing of medical data, addressing issues of data integrity, privacy, and interoperability. This enables a seamless flow of information among healthcare providers, leading to more accurate diagnoses, timely treatments, and improved patient outcomes. On the other hand, AI contributes to healthcare by offering advanced data analytics, predictive modeling, and personalized treatment plans. This talk focuses on the transformative potential of integrating blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to enhance healthcare services and ultimately save lives. In fact, as these technologies continue to evolve, their collaborative impact is capable to revolutionize healthcare, ensuring higher service quality, efficiency, and ultimately, the preservation of lives.

Badr Bellaj is the CTO of MCHAIN and a Blockchain specialist. He provides strategic and technical guidance to major corporations and banks, contributing to various projects, including digital Euro consultations. Additionally, Mr. Bellaj is the author of the technical book "Blockchain by Example."

Strategic Significance of National Blockchain Networks in B2B Dynamics

This talk discusses the important role of sovering blockchains in B2B transactions. We will dissect the importance of nationwide blockchain networks and spotlight current initiatives, particularly within the European blockchain framework. This exploration aims to unveil the transformative influence of these networks on business interactions, ensuring a smooth and secure landscape for B2B engagements.

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Introduction to Modular Blockchains

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Software Engineer @Celestia Labs

Introduction to Modular Blockchains

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Mathieu Ducroux is a Researcher in the R&D IP Portfolio and Emerging Technology Programme at nChain in Zug. He is responsible for the design of new protocols that enable true, scalable peer-to-peer (P2P) payments in Bitcoin. Mathieu's passion is emerging technology, and advancing blockchain development and adoption. Mathieu is currently working on the IPv6 programme, which explores how to integrate Bitcoin with IPv6. He's also skilled in network security, internet protocols, and cryptography. He holds a Bachelor degree in Computer Science from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and a Master’s in Cyber Security from EPFL and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. He is also an inventor of over 10 patent applications related to blockchain technology.

Enhancing Network Security using Blockchain Technology

Blockchain's core principles of decentralization, immutability, and transparency offer a unique approach to strengthen communication networks. The first part of this talk will provide on overview on how blockchain can be leveraged to enhance the security of network protocols such as DNS, BGP, and PKI infrastructure. The second part will present a novel technique called Bitcoin-Certified Addresses (BCA) that provides secure and efficient generation of IPv6 addresses. BCA reduces network management overhead and can help in preventing address spoofing- related attacks.

Muslim Elkotob (M.Sc. TU München, Germany, PhD LTU, Sweden) is a Principal Solutions Architect at Vodafone with a lead design and business development role and end-to-end responsibility in the Enterprise Business Line. He works on driving innovation and standardizing architectures in the areas of SDN/NFV, Autonomics, Slicing and Security in Beyond 5G and IoT. He is an IPv6-Forum Fellow and delegate with lead roles in various SDOs including ETSI, TMForum, ITU-T and IEEE. Dr. Elkotob is Chairman of ETSI AFI (Autonomic Future Internet), Vice Chairman of ETSI TC INT, and Vice-Chairman of ITU-T Focus Group on Testbeds Federations (FG-TBFxG). Having a career background of 18+ years with vendors, service providers and R&D, he has spent the last eight years strengthening Vodafone’s role in the enterprise Value Chain as a global player with a powerful infrastructure and autonomic IT services on top.

DLT Blockchain-based Market Place Broker as Collaboration Enabler for Telco Data Spaces

Data-Driven Services and Telco Data Spaces form a megatrend that is transforming current ecosystems and value chains in Beyond 5G, IoT, and other Telco and IT-based use cases. In this talk I show an architecture for secure, sovereignty- guaranteed data sharing and an ecosystem based on a marketplace concept. At the core of this ecosystem is the Blockchain based broker that connects stakeholders, establishes a trust relationship to all of them, and facilitate information/data asset sharing. This process is purpose driven, and governed by Blockchain principles including security, decentralized management, consensus-based workflow dynamics, and transparency.

Dr. Satya N. Gupta, NGNguru

PhD(HC), CEng. DIISc. DRP, BSc(ECE), IRSSE(VR)

Chairman, Bharat IPv6 Forum

Chairman, Blockchain for Productivity Forum, Evangelist,DigiGaon Job Factory Foundation

Secretary General, ITU-APT Foundation of India Chairman, BLUETOWN, India & BIMSTEC, S.Asia An International expert in NGN technologies, Regulation, Interconnection and Broadband with 42 years’ experience in all aspects of Telecoms, including 25 years with Govt. and Regulator, Dr. Gupta is publicly recognized as an Analyst, Author, Advocate and Advisor on ICT related Policies, Projects and Business. After post-graduation from IISc - Bangalore, he joined Ministry of Communications in 1981 and Ministry of Railways in 1983 and rose to the level of Additional Secretary in TRAI. He is recipient of coveted Minister of Railways award for outstanding performance for digitalisation project. A triple master in Electronics Design Technology, IT Management and Telecom Policy and Regulation, globally known as “NGNguru” he is a trainer and coach for telecommunication technologies, policy and regulation and a Regulatory advocate. Author of "Everything over IP-All you want to know about NGN", he also authored a concept called “Job Factory- Converting Unemployment into Intraprenuership”. His recent research-based work, “Long Tail - Walking the Extra Mile on Rural Broadband Business”, brings out the innovative business models for rural broadband connectivity. He has also established and mentoring a consulting startup named SAAM CorpAdvisors managing “Govt. Affairs as a Service”. He was also awarded Global Visionary Award by Vision World Academy in 2019 for his Mission for Rural Women Empowerment through DigiGaon Job Factory Foundation, a Social Enterprise. Based on his impact making business model “Hotspots- as- Managed Service”, he was awarded PhD (HC) by Commonwealth Vocational University, Kingdom of Tonga, Asia Pac. As founding Chair of “Blockchain For Productivity Forum” he is engaged with various Govt. agencies, Regulatory bodies and Startups with a Mission to create Universal and Ubiquitous Blockchain Infrastructure in the country as shared Commons Digital Public Good. He is also recognized among the top 50 Influencers of Blockchain in the Country by the Community. He is re-elected as Secretary General of ITU-APT Foundation of India, Vice-President and Trustee of DCIF and Chairs BIF committee on Rural Digital Infrastructure. As a member of Expert panel of Commonwealth Telecom Organisation, he conducts training programs in the areas of NGN Technologies, Broadband Policy and Regulation, Interconnection Costing in NGN Era, Spectrum Management, IPV6, Digital Transformation, Blockchain and Blue-Ocean Strategy. He is first Indian recipient of IPv6 Hall of Fame Award-2019 and Lifetime Achievement Award-2022 by Global IPv6 Forum and appointed Chairman of Bharat IPv6 Forum-“Towards Atmanirbhar Connected Bharat”. Presently, he is working as Chairman, BLUETOWN, India & BIMSTEC, S. Asia to forge newer partnerships and “Making It Happen” the Vision of “Connecting the Unconnected people living in Rural areas of World”.

Convergence of Blockchain and IPv6- Towards Decentralised, Secured, Trusted Internet as Digital Public Good

The convergence of Blockchain technology and new Internet ,IPv6 has a great potential for creation of a universal public digital infrastructure which will be Open, Accessible, Secured, Accountable and Affordable. This presentation discusses the underlying attributes of these two emerging technologies synergising together as described below: Decentralization and Security: Blockchain technology is built on the principles of decentralization and cryptographic security. By integrating Blockchain with IPv6 which enables secured P2P communication, one could potentially create a more secure and decentralized and trusted Internet infrastructure. Each device connected to the IPv6 network could have a unique blockchain-based identity that's tamper-proof and verifiable. This could enhance security by reducing the risks of unauthorized access and cyberattacks. Decentralized DNS: The Domain Name System (DNS) could be decentralized using Blockchain. Traditional DNS is vulnerable to attacks and censorship. By incorporating Blockchain's consensus mechanism, DNS records could be stored on a distributed ledger, reducing the central points of failure and making it more resilient and fast. Secure Data Transmission: The integration of Blockchain with IPv6 will also enable secure peer-to-peer communication and data transmission. Blockchain's encryption capabilities could be used to ensure that data sent between devices remains private and tamper-proof, enhancing privacy and doing away the need for centralized intermediaries. Internet of Things(IoT): IoT would also benefit from the convergence of Blockchain and IPv6. IPv6's vast address space could accommodate the growing number of IoT devices, and Blockchain's transparency and immutability will facilitate various innovative applications of Industrial Internet. Decentralized Applications (DApps): The combination of Blockchain and IPv6 could foster the development of decentralized applications. These DApps could leverage Blockchain's Smart Contract attribute to create self-executing agreements and automated processes, enhancing efficiency and reducing the need for intermediaries. Global Identity Management: The convergence of Blockchain and IPv6 could lead to the creation of a universal self-sovereign identity system. Individuals could control their own digital identities, reducing the risks of identity theft and enhancing privacy. Data Ownership and Privacy: Blockchain's capability to provide transparent and auditable data ownership records could help users have ownership, monetisation and better control over their data. This could lead to improved data privacy practices and increased trust between users and online services. Web 3.0 : Combination of all the above attributes will lead to Web3, which will enable the decentralised ownership of data and creation of Wealth. Integrating these two complex technologies would require innovative design and engineering, and capacity building through skilling and training. The convergence will need to navigate through the regulatory and governance challenges, particularly regarding data sovereignty, jurisdiction and legal frameworks for decentralized applications, to move towards Digital Public Good.

Rick Kuhn is a Supervisory Computer Scientist in the Computer Security Division of the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Washington Academy of Sciences. He co-developed the role-based access control model (RBAC) used worldwide, and has authored three books and more than 200 papers on cybersecurity, software failure, and software assurance. His current research focuses on combinatorial methods for software verification and testing, and assured autonomy. He received an MS in computer science from the University of Maryland College Park, and an MBA from the College of William & Mary. https://www.nist.gov/people/d-richard-kuhn

Privacy Enhanced Distributed Ledger Technology and Hyperledger Implementation

Blockchain offers new and significant features for distributed systems, but the immutability of data blocks limits its utility where it must be possible to delete private or security-sensitive data. NIST has designed and implemented in Hyperledger Fabric, a new form of distributed ledger technology (DLT), a data block matrix, which provides the integrity assurance of blockchain but allows for controlled revision or deletion of data. Blockmatrix extends the range of application for blockchain solutions by solving the conflict between privacy regulations and blockchain, and allowing exception management.

Stephan Nilsson, CEO and Co-Founder of UNISOT, stands at the forefront of transforming Global Supply Chains through innovative technology. With a rich background in Supply Chain Management and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, Stephan leverages his extensive experience to pioneer the integration of Public Blockchain, IPv6, and AI into the realm of supply chain management. Boasting over 30 years of technical experience in IT-system integrations, Stephan has spent the last two decades honing his skills as an SAP Integration Architect. His deep understanding of system integrations has been pivotal in shaping the solutions offered by UNISOT. UNISOT stands as a testament to Stephan's vision, offering a platform that not only ensures global interoperability and traceability but also enables data monetization. The platform empowers stakeholders across global supply chains to prove their commitment to sustainability and product quality. This is achieved through the innovative use of Smart Digital Product Passports, powered by the synergistic combination of Public Blockchain, IPv6, and AI. In addition to his role at UNISOT, Stephan is a prominent figure in the blockchain space. As the President of the Norway Blockchain Association, he has been actively shaping the blockchain landscape since 2014. Stephan's vision and leadership in integrating cutting-edge technologies into supply chain solutions position him as a key influencer and innovator in the industry.

Real World Asset Traceability for Global Supply Chains, using AI, Blockchain and IPv6.

In today's world, where efficiency and transparency in global supply chains are essential, this presentation focuses on the groundbreaking combination of decentralized AI, Public Blockchain and IPv6 to transform the Traceability of Real World Assets (RWA). We'll discuss how decentralized AI not only improves data analysis and decision-making but also bolsters data privacy and energy efficiency. Alongside, a stable, scalable, and cost-efficient Public Blockchain provides the foundation of trust and data integrity. The combination of the IPv6 and blockchain protocols introduces unmatched secure identification and P2P connectivity for each connected device. This synergy enhances global supply chain operations, tackling critical issues like counterfeit prevention, compliance with regulations, and sustainable practices. Join us to learn how this triad of technologies is redefining Real World Asset traceability, offering a versatile and scalable solution across various sectors, ready to meet the challenges of today and the future.

Adil RAISSOUNI is a seasoned IT and business expert with over 24 years of dedicated experience in the realms of Information Technology, logistics, and related industries.

Leveraging Blockchain Technology for Certified Merchandise Pick-Up in Logistics: A Case Study Approach

This case study highlights the practical implications of adopting blockchain technology, underscoring its potential to optimize supply chain operations and drive innovation in the logistics landscape.

Micha has 30+ years of technology experience including Insurance, Banking, Financial Services and Sustainability/ESG in various roles ranging from developer to project manager, product owner and CTO. He transitioned to the Web3 space in 2016 when he became the principal blockchain developer for SweetBridge and then CTO of the Energy Web Foundation. Micha believes that Web3 is the next step of evolution in the open-source movement in the form of decentralised governance which will allow efficient collaboration without the need for large organisations.

Automating trust and privacy

Until now, decentralisation and blockchain have mainly focused on the digitization of value and enabled speculation. The technology can do a lot more than that. As we move forward in the development of the decentralised toolbox, the next frontier is to make relationships more trustworthy and verifiable. This applies to commercial relationships as well as the relationship between citizens and their government. Technology can provide more security, more trust and more transparency all while preserving privacy both personal and commercial.

Dr. Angelos Stavrou is a Virginia Tech Innovation Campus founding Professor and the Entrepreneurship activities lead. He is also a member of the Bradley Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech. Dr. Stavrou is a serial entrepreneur, and the founder of Quokka, Kryptowire Labs, Aether Argus, and Impedyme Inc. Quokka is a VC-baked Mobile Security company with a more than 200M valuation. In addition, Dr. Stavrou has served as a principal investigator on research awards from NSF, DARPA, IARPA, DHS, AFOSR, ARO, ARL, and ONR. He has written more than 130 peer-reviewed conference and journal articles. Stavrou received his M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, M.Phil., and Ph.D. (with distinction) in Computer Science all from Columbia University. Stavrou is an Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Computers, IEEE Security & Privacy, and IEEE Internet Computing magazine and a co-chair of the IEEE Blockchain initiative. He is a senior member of the ACM, USENIX, and IEEE. In 2013, he received the IEEE Reliability Society Engineer of the Year award. His team was awarded the DHS Cyber Security Division’s "Significant Government Impact Award" in 2017 and the “Bang for the Buck Award” in 2019.

Blockchain & IoT Sensors for Agriculture: Opportunities and Security Implications

In this talk, I will discuss our recent work in Blockchain design for IoT sensors, focusing on the potential applications in agriculture while considering the security and privacy implications of their use. I will show that Blockchain-protected IoT sensors for agriculture have enormous positive implications that many current agricultural systems are starting to take advantage of, However, there are still a lot of challenges and threats when it comes to data integrity and privacy implications that new blockchain designs should take into account.