Blockchain technology in the high-tech manufacturing supply chain: An approach for addressing scalability and support of circularity

Industries characterised by complex and time-consuming testing and certification requirements and growing circularity/sustainability demands may benefit from blockchain technology. This work explores the feasibility of adopting blockchain in high-tech manufacturing supply chains by addressing two key issues: scalability through sharding using a comprehensive Byzantine fault-tolerant protocol and the support of circularity/sustainability policies using a case involving the supply chain of composite materials used in the manufacturing of components for the aerospace sector. Parts and components used in aerospace applications must be tested and certified, hence the use of sharding in blockchains may allow testing and certification processes to be streamlined. Furthermore, the blockchain can be used to store details about the energy employed in the manufacturing process of a component, the method for recycling and the energy associated to the recycling method. In the circular economy, knowing the value of energy used is of high importance in high-tech manufacturing