The Eye on Taiwan news staff
COMPUTEX 2018 will incorporate for the first time blockchain into one of its main themes during the upcoming event slated for June 5-9 in Taipei, given that blockchain applications have become an inevitable trend in the global technology industry.
According to International Data Corporation (IDC), worldwide spending on blockchain solutions will reach US$2.1 billion in 2018, more than doubled if compared to 2017 with US$945 million spent, organizers of COMPUTEX 2018 said.
The financial sector will champion the blockchain solutions with an investment of US$754 million, followed by distribution and services sector, and manufacturing and resources sector as the third largest blockchain application industry.
In view of that trend, organizers of COMPUTEX 2018 hope that collaboration with leading players home and abroad such as IBM, Bitmark, and Health2Sync can expand opportunities for blockchain technologies.
In the financial industry, blockchain will not only help companies save time and speed up transaction processes but also reduce the risk of cyber fraud, the organizers said.
For example, IBM, which will participate in the COMPUTEX Forum’s “Future Trends” session this year, launched a new blockchain banking solution last year, which has successfully lowered transaction cost and enabled cross-border payments and is now being adopted in 12 currency corridors across Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, according to the organizers.
This year, IBM will cite its own blockchain experience and share application cases in financial, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, insurance, and management. IBM will also discuss changes and opportunities blockchain is bringing to the industry as the company tries to present a brand new perspective on the blockchain, organizers said.
As blockchain continues to disrupt business models in the financial industry, its application also penetrates into sectors like service and manufacturing.
In the area of IT service, Taiwan startup Bitmark is using blockchain technologies in a unique peer-to-peer electronic cash system where users can claim ownership to personal digital assets like music, films, digital artworks and computer programs.
Among professional healthcare services, Health2Sync is leveraging blockchain technologies to help diabetes patients monitor blood sugar levels so these patients can better understand their health status, the organizers said.
“As companies around the world are now trying to achieve digital transformation and industrial upgrades, blockchain applications are deemed as a key player for industrial development in the future,” said Walter Yeh, president & CEO of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), one of the major organizers of the COMPUTEX.
Being the world’s leading B2B exhibition, COMPUTEX is always keeping up with the latest technology trends, Yeh said.
“We hope that by bringing together our elite partners to this international event and by exploring trends and framework of blockchain applications, we can help the industry bring in new momentum and enable revolutionary innovations, which in turn will help speed up blockchain adoption in various industries and eventually build a global technology ecosystem,” Yeh said.
COMPUTEX 2018 will continue to inspire innovations and research capabilities with an exhibition of rich content and a diversified forum agenda as part of its efforts to help local companies stay in sync with the world. The five-day exhibition will kick off on June 5th, with a series of COMPUTEX Forums, where technology leaders will discuss the latest trends and explore cutting-edge advancements in next-generation technologies to the world.
COMPUTEX 2018攜全球科技大廠 積極拓展區塊鏈新商機
在全球科技產業中,區塊鏈的技術應用與發展趨勢已成為新一波勢不可擋的浪潮。根據國際市場研調機構IDC預估,2018年全球投入於區塊鏈解決方案的資金將達到21億美元,相較於2017年的9.45億美元增加一倍以上;其中,金融業對區塊鏈解決方案的投資金額上看7.54億美元;其次則為分銷和專業服務產業;製造與資源則列居第三大區塊鏈應用產業。因應此趨勢,今年COMPUTEX首度將區塊鏈列入六大主題之一,期望偕同國內外積極布局區塊鏈領域之領航者如IBM、Bitmark、智抗糖,加速拓展區塊鏈技術新商機。
在金融產業中,業者透過區塊鏈的加值不僅能縮短交易的流程與時間,還能大幅降低詐騙的風險。例如將於今年COMPUTEX 論壇出席「遇見明日科技」場次的科技大廠IBM,已於去年推出全新應用於銀行產業的區塊鏈解決方案,成功降低交易成本並實現跨境支付,並受澳大利亞、紐西蘭和英國等12個貨幣走廊採用,今年IBM將以自身投注區塊鏈領域之經驗,分享區塊鏈於經融、醫療、零售、生產、保險及管理等領域應用實例,並分析區塊鏈驅動產業轉變契機,為全球產業帶來嶄新的區塊鏈趨勢觀點。
當區塊鏈全面顛覆金融業商業模式的同時,其應用也滲入專業服務、製造等產業。在資訊服務領域中,台灣新創廠商Bitmark即利用區塊鏈技術創建獨特P2P電子資產系統,讓使用者能對其個人數位資產建立所有權申明,包含音樂、電影、數位藝術創作、電腦程式等重要內容。而在專業醫療服務領域中,新創廠商智抗糖(Health2sync)則運用區塊鏈技術來協助糖尿病患控制其血糖指數,讓患者能更了解自身的身體狀況。
外貿協會秘書長葉明水表示:「隨著全球企業致力於數位轉型以及產業升級,區塊鏈相關新興應用方興未艾,在未來產業發展中已成為或不可缺的關鍵性角色。作為全球最具指標性的B2B國際展會,COMPUTEX始終緊繫科技脈動,以此拋磚引玉,期盼藉由匯聚全球菁英夥伴們於此國際舞台,一同探究區塊鏈的產業應用趨勢與架構,協助產業注入全新動能與創新革命的能力,加速佈局區塊鏈應用於各大產業,共築全球科技生態系。」
有鑑於新興科技潮流來襲,今年COMPUTEX將持續展出豐富的內容以及舉辦多元的論壇主題以激發產業創新與研發能力,引領國內企業與世界接軌。COMPUTEX 2018將於6月5日起進行為期5天的展覽,並於COMPUTEX論壇闡述最新科技趨勢,全面剖析產業動態及發展進程,帶領世界邁入下一個科技世代。