<p>  </p> <p>Cold chain logistics comprise a large portion of transported pharmaceutical medications and raw materials which must be preserved at specified temperatures to maintain consumer safety and efficacy. An immutable record of temperatures of transported pharmaceutical goods allows for mitigation of temperature-related issues of such drugs and their raw components. The recording of this information on a blockchain creates such an immutable record of this information which can be readily accessed by any relevant party. This can allow for any components which have not been kept at the appropriate temperatures to be removed from production. These data can also be used as inputs for smart contracts or for data analytic purposes. </p> <p>A theoretical framework for such a system, referred to as “TempEnsure” is described, which provides digital capture of the internal temperature of temperature-controlled shipping containers. The data are recorded in a blockchain system. Real world testing of this system was not possible due to monetary constraints, but the functional elements of the system, as well as potential improvements for the system, are discussed.</p>

Traditional database with no prior security measures is becoming challenging in the era of data technology. Database storage on a central location with single point of failure and vulnerable to cyber attacks is getting exposed to big risk of being hacked with the evolution of powerful machines and modern hacking techniques. Since its commencement, the BlockChain technology has shown a promising performance for application buildup in diversed fields of life from cryptocurrency to smart contracts and decentralized applications. Although multiple studies on privacy, data confidentiality and security issues of BlockChain are performed but a systematic examination is still needs attention. In this thesis work we conduct a systematic study about the vulnerabilities of BlockChain system and review the security enhancement solutions that may point to a good future direction for further research into the area of BlockChain technology and its applications. Smart contracts are self-executable objects hosted on the 2nd generation blockchain like Ethereum, carry billions of SEK worth of cryptocoins and cannot be updated once deployed. Smart contracts are generally considered secure objects but the systematic analysis of technology and source code exposes a new class of vulnerabilities which are more likely an ethical aspect of programming than the software coding errors. Besides the literature review we empower our results with a static code analysis especially with the perspective of cyber forensics.

A smart contract is a recently emerging technology which enables agreement to be automatable by computers and enforceable by legal enforcement or tamper-proof execution of code. A majority of smart contracts are run on the blockchain which enables smart contract transactions without a central authority. Smart contract implementation contains several challenges which makes implementation more difficult. The problem is that organisations struggle to implement smart contracts due to the absence of documentation, standardisation, and guidelines making it difficult to know how a smart contract should be implemented. Additionally, it is unclear what capabilities and tools are required for smart contract implementation. Therefore, it is challenging for organisations to assess their own competence of smart contract implementation. This thesis aims to develop a Smart Contract Maturity Model (SCMM). The purpose of the model is to clarify the functionalities and capabilities required to implement a smart contract while also offering organisations the ability to assess the smart contract implementation competency. This improves the adoption of smart contracts. Through the help of the design science framework, the SCMM emerged from the thesis. Applying design science included explicating the problem, defining requirements, designing and developing the artefact, demonstrating and evaluating the artefact. A literature survey was used to explicate the problem and to define requirements for the maturity model. Furthermore, a case study including interviews were used to refine the requirements and to demonstrate and evaluate the SCMM. The SCMM includes maturity levels, generic goals and practices, specific goals, key processing areas and practices, tools, glossaries and smart contract examples. Inspired by the Capability Maturity model Model Integration for Development (CMMI-DEV), the maturity levels of the SCMM consisted of initial, foundation, managed, defined, quantitatively managed and optimising. The identified key processing areas were stakeholder capabilities, resources and tools, platform, contract implementation, standards, laws and terminology and security. Although there were several limitations, the SCMM contributed to the field of smart contracts by closing the gap of previous research and improving the adoption of smart contracts.

The perspective of procurement and supply chain management is changing dramatically; traditionally, it was seen as a support function; however, the procurement function is receiving increased attention and investment as an essential contributor to the strategic success and a business enabler. While an end-to-end digital supply chain is an opportunity as it unleashes the next level of strategic growth and involves minimal investment in infrastructure, it is still a challenge to optimize and transform. Furthermore, the recent pandemics and geopolitical disruptions of Covid-19, the Ukraine-Russian war, Brexit and the US-China trade war; have structurally changed the global economy and revealed a new risk assessment that will result in the re-introduction of buffers, boundaries across industries and a partial return to regionalization with sort of de-globalization in which existing just-in-time getting replaced by just-in-case strategy.

[ES] La presente tesis doctoral se plantea sobre la necesidad de buscar alternativas a los medios de pago y cobros internacionales en el sector agroalimentario y su viabilidad normativa, que permitan automatizar las operaciones de comercio internacional y reúnan todos los beneficios mitigantes del riesgo y de la falta de seguridad de cobro para las partes. La acelerada revolución tecnológica en el campo de las telecomunicaciones y de la informática, se ha empleado como instrumento en el comercio internacional agroalimentario, no sólo en la fase de negociación y elaboración del contrato de compraventa internacional, sino, en la forma de pago. Por ello, se hace necesario considerar y valorar la viabilidad jurídica que ofrecen los nuevos instrumentos tecnológicos en las transacciones comerciales internacionales. La reciente aparición de la tecnología denominada cadena de bloques (blockchains) y los contratos inteligentes (smart contracts) ofrecen una alternativa sostenible en el sector primario y es por ello que, despierta un creciente interés objeto de nuestro estudio. Desde este objetivo, y tras no pocas dudas, se presenta una revisión de ambos conceptos y su relación con el uso de nuevos medios de pago virtuales (criptomonedas). En este sentido, dichos conceptos toman relevancia en la investigación en virtud de la propuesta de un novedoso crédito documentario automatizado en la red blockchain como mecanismo de pago internacional y cuya moneda de pago es la criptomoneda. Ello proporciona a los agentes comerciales, la posibilidad de realizar pagos jurídicamente válidos, eficaces y automáticos, sin la intervención de ninguna autoridad bancaria central o institución de crédito. La investigación trata temas actuales como lo son la compraventa internacional, los medios de pago internacionales, con base en el crédito documentario y los nuevos desafíos tecnológicos, evidenciando la importancia de la Comisión de las Naciones Unidas para el Derecho Mercantil Internacional (UNCITRAL) como fuente reguladora del Derecho Comercial Internacional. Con el estudio se concluye la posibilidad de uso del dinero electrónico y las monedas virtuales para una operación de compraventa internacional en el sector primario como alternativa a los mecanismos tradicionales, dotando a ésta de la funcionalidad y la seguridad jurídica con el uso de un crédito documentario en la red Blockchain en formatos estandarizados y automatizados de contratación, a pesar de su escasa o nula regulación internacional. / [CA] La presente tesis doctoral se plantea sobre la necesidad de buscar alternativas a los medios de pago y cobros internacionales en el sector agroalimentario y su viabilidad normativa, que permitan automatizar las operaciones de comercio internacional y reúnan todos los beneficios mitigantes del riesgo y de la falta de seguridad de cobro para las partes. La acelerada revolución tecnológica en el campo de las telecomunicaciones y de la informática, se ha empleado como instrumento en el comercio internacional agroalimentario, no sólo en la fase de negociación y elaboración del contrato de compraventa internacional, sino, en la forma de pago. Por ello, se hace necesario considerar y valorar la viabilidad jurídica que ofrecen los nuevos instrumentos tecnológicos en las transacciones comerciales internacionales. La reciente aparición de la tecnología denominada cadena de bloques (blockchains) y los contratos inteligentes (smart contracts) ofrecen una alternativa sostenible en el sector primario y es por ello que, despierta un creciente interés objeto de nuestro estudio. Desde este objetivo, y tras no pocas dudas, se presenta una revisión de ambos conceptos y su relación con el uso de nuevos medios de pago virtuales (criptomonedas). En este sentido, dichos conceptos toman relevancia en la investigación en virtud de la propuesta de un novedoso crédito documentario automatizado en la red blockchain como mecanismo de pago internacional y cuya moneda de pago es la criptomoneda. Ello proporciona a los agentes comerciales, la posibilidad de realizar pagos jurídicamente válidos, eficaces y automáticos, sin la intervención de ninguna autoridad bancaria central o institución de crédito. La investigación trata temas actuales como lo son la compraventa internacional, los medios de pago internacionales, con base en el crédito documentario y los nuevos desafíos tecnológicos, evidenciando la importancia de la Comisión de las Naciones Unidas para el Derecho Mercantil Internacional (UNCITRAL) como fuente reguladora del Derecho Comercial Internacional. Con el estudio se concluye la posibilidad de uso del dinero electrónico y las monedas virtuales para una operación de compraventa internacional en el sector primario como alternativa a los mecanismos tradicionales, dotando a ésta de la funcionalidad y la seguridad jurídica con el uso de un crédito documentario en la red Blockchain en formatos estandarizados y automatizados de contratación, a pesar de su escasa o nula regulación internacional. / [EN] This doctoral thesis is based on the need to seek alternatives to international payment and collection methods in the agri-food sector and its regulatory feasibility, which allow automating international trade operations and bring together all the mitigating benefits of risk and the lack of collection security for the parties. The accelerated technological revolution in the field of telecommunications and information technology has been used as an instrument in international agri-food trade, not only in the negotiation and preparation phase of the international sales contract, but also in the form of payment. For this reason, it is necessary to consider and assess the legal viability offered by the new technological instruments in international commercial transactions. The recent appearance of the technology called blockchain and smart contracts offer a sustainable alternative in the primary sector and that is why it arouses a growing interest in our study. From this objective, and after many doubts, a review of both concepts and their relationship with the use of new virtual means of payment (cryptocurrencies) is presented. In this sense, these concepts become relevant in the investigation by virtue of the proposal of a novel automated documentary credit in the blockchain network as an international payment mechanism and whose payment currency is cryptocurrency. This provides commercial agents with the possibility of making legally valid, efficient and automatic payments, without the intervention of any central banking authority or credit institution. The research deals with current issues such as international sales, international means of payment, based on documentary credit and new technological challenges, evidencing the importance of UNCITRAL as a regulatory source of International Commercial Law. The study concludes the possibility of using electronic money and virtual currencies for an international sale operation in the primary sector as an alternative to traditional mechanisms, providing it with functionality and legal security with the use of a documentary credit in the Blockchain network in standardized and automated contracting formats, despite its little or no international regulation. / Bonet Juan, MA. (2022). Aplicación del derecho internacional en los mecanismos de medios de cobro y pago e ítems relacionados con el comercio internacional [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/186004 / TESIS

Cette thèse étudie la capacité de la technologie de la chaîne de blocks à transformer l'arbitrage commercial international et la capacité de l'arbitrage à s'adapter aux technologies émergentes. Alors que les marchés numériques interconnectés et les interactions sociales se développent rapidement, les litiges provenant de ces connexions augmentent corrélativement, soulignant la nécessité de méthodes de résolution des litiges plus efficaces. La recherche englobe le concept d'arbitrage, l'impact des mécanismes de résolution des litiges en ligne et l'influence de la technologie de la chaîne de blocks sur les processus d'arbitrage. L'analyse est centrée sur la compatibilité de la résolution des litiges en ligne et de l'arbitrage sur la chaîne de blocks dans le cadre législatif international, et sur la question de savoir si l'arbitrage blockchain pourrait constituer un ordre juridique distinct enraciné dans la Lex Cryptographia. L'enquête aborde les défis et les opportunités liés à l'intégration de la technologie de la chaîne de blocks dans l'arbitrage, y compris les préoccupations en matière de cybersécurité, de confidentialité et d'efficacité, ainsi que la validité et la force exécutoire des accords d'arbitrage et des sentences cryptographiques. La thèse examine les plateformes d'arbitrage sur la chaîne de blocs émergents et révèle leur potentiel pour résoudre efficacement et à moindre coût les réclamations de petite et moyenne importance, en offrant des solutions innovantes pour diverses situations de litige. L'étude préconise un modèle hybride transitoire, intégrant l'arbitrage sur la chaîne de blocs dans le cadre juridique existant sans nécessiter de réformes statutaires, favorisant ainsi une incorporation transparente et améliorant le processus global de résolution des litiges. En outre, cette enquête explore le développement potentiel de la Lex Cryptographia en tant que système juridique autonome au sein de l'écosystème de la chaîne de blocs. À mesure que l'économie mondiale s'oriente vers l'Internet des objets, la demande d'un système d'arbitrage indépendant de l'intervention de l'État devient de plus en plus cruciale. La Lex Cryptographia, avec des principes et cadres adaptés aux spécificités de la technologie de la chaîne de blocs, pourrait offrir un arbitrage autonome et efficace, permettant aux parties de régler leurs différends sans recourir aux systèmes étatiques traditionnels. Ainsi, la thèse met en avant le potentiel transformateur de la blockchain dans l'arbitrage commercial international, automatisant l'exécution des contrats et la résolution des litiges. Les résultats révèlent la nécessité d'harmoniser les normes internationales et d'améliorer les pratiques pour garantir la légalité et l'applicabilité des sentences arbitrales basées sur la blockchain, explorant des systèmes juridiques autonomes et influençant l'avenir de l'arbitrage international. / This thesis investigates the capacity of blockchain technology to transform international commercial arbitration and arbitration’s ability to adapt to emerging technologies. As interconnected digital markets and social interactions rapidly expand, disputes originating from these connections increase correlatively, highlighting the need for more effective dispute resolution methods. The research encompasses the concept of arbitration, the impact of online dispute resolution mechanisms, and the influence of blockchain technology on arbitration processes. The analysis centers on the compatibility of online dispute resolution and blockchain arbitration within the international legislative framework, and whether blockchain arbitration could constitute a distinct legal order rooted in Lex Cryptographia. The inquiry addresses the challenges and opportunities in integrating blockchain technology into arbitration, including cybersecurity, confidentiality, and efficiency concerns, as well as the validity and enforceability of cryptographic arbitration agreements and awards. The thesis examines emerging blockchain arbitration platforms and reveals their potential to resolve small to medium-sized claims efficiently and cost-effectively, offering innovative solutions for various dispute situations. It advocates for a transitionary hybrid model, integrating blockchain arbitration within the existing legal framework without necessitating statutory reforms, thus promoting seamless incorporation and enhancing the overall dispute resolution process. Furthermore, it explores the potential development of Lex Cryptographia as a self-contained legal system within the blockchain ecosystem. As the global economy shifts towards the Internet of Things, the demand for an arbitration system independent of state intervention grows increasingly crucial. By establishing tailored principles and frameworks explicitly designed for blockchain technology's unique characteristics, Lex Cryptographia could offer a more effective and autonomous arbitration system, allowing parties to resolve disputes without reliance on traditional state-based mechanisms. Consequently, this thesis underscores the transformative potential of blockchain technology in international commercial arbitration and its ability to automate contractual enforcement and dispute resolution. The findings emphasize the necessity for harmonized international standards and best practices to ensure the legal recognition and enforceability of blockchain-based arbitration awards and the exploration of self-contained legal systems anchored in the blockchain, shaping the future of international arbitration.

Decentralized autonomous organizations, or DAOs, are spoken highly of in cryptocurrency spaces as a new way of organizing capital and labor. The basic concept is an organization with a shared vision or goal, where the participants and/or outside stakeholders own tokens that grant governing rights over resources through smart contracts. The smart contract usage allows the organization to govern resources without relying on any trusted third parties such as governments, banks, companies or other entities, at least in theory. It also allows the governing of resources without a legal entity. As the name suggests, DAOs have a large focus on decentralization, which raises the issue of how it moves in the right direction. Management control offers suggestions for how traditional organizations move in the right, or intended, direction, and this report tries to apply theory from that field to the DAO organization type. The purpose of this report is to investigate, describe and analyze how management control systems are used within DAOs. The report is an interpretive multiple case study, which gathers data from interviews, observations and a literature study. The data is analyzed by primarily using Malmi and Brown (2008), Olve and Nilsson (2018) and Simons (1994) to filter and identify management control systems. This report investigates three DAOs, DXdao, Index Coop and ENS DAO, that attempts to answer the question of how they use management control. DXdao develops products for the blockchain ecosystem, Index Coop creates index fund-like products that bundle together blockchain based assets and ENS DAO owns and furthers a product that lets users claim names on the Ethereum blockchain to be used as URLs, usernames or for other causes. The report identifies that many management control systems, such as budget, planing and values, are used in similar ways as in traditional companies. While some other systems such as rewards and compensation, and governance structure seem to have unique aspects to them though the use of tokens for compensation, and a governance process through blockchain based voting. Furthermore, the report identifies the different definition of Decentralization between the management control field and the blockchain industry. Where the blockchain industry focus on the distribution of decision-making and control, whereas in Management Controlthe focus is on the division of responsibility to managers. The report concludes that one can view decentralization as a position on a scale, between complete individual decision making to a completely collective decision-making, where most DAOs lay in between these two extremes.