aitos.io attends Microsoft’s 2022 Azure Sphere Ecosystem Innovation Summit
aitos.io CEO Leo Lin announces the establishment of a trusted carbon digital infrastructure powered by BoAT + Azure Sphere
On June 22, Changhong, Microsoft jointly held Azure Sphere Ecosystem Innovation Summit. aitos.io’s CEO, Mr. Leo Lin was invited to participate and discuss how to enable enterprises that are implementing digital transformation to realize business transformation and product strategy upgrading based to Microsoft Azure Sphere with various ecosystem partners from Microsoft’s IoT team, Changhong Group, Lenovo Group, ATOS, Wanxiang Blockchain, and others. Leo introduced how Microsoft Azure Sphere’s IoT security capabilities empower the IoT+blockchain architecture, create a credible green carbon digital infrastructure, and help enterprises to champion sustainable development.
BoAT+ Microsoft Azure Sphere Trusted Carbon Data Management Solution
Leo examined the history of cooperation between aitos.io and Microsoft since 2020 and further espoused the impressive enterprise-level IoT security capabilities endowed by the Microsoft Azure Sphere platform. “Since 2019, aitos.io has independently developed its BoAT blockchain application framework to help mainstream IoT module and chip manufacturers integrate BoAT features to launch blockchain modules and blockchain chips. In addition to being a lightweight blockchain client for IoT devices, it’s also regarded as a security application built into IoT devices, which deeply depends on the hardware security capabilities of IoT devices. “A full suite of IoT security capabilities dedicated for enterprises from Microsoft Azure Sphere beefs up the security of the BoAT blockchain application framework.”
Leo further raised an interesting question: what value does the emergence of IoT + blockchain convergence bring to today’s enterprises undergoing digital transformation? He explained “First of all, data is stored in the cloud where data analysis is also carried out to achieve efficiency improvement and cost reduction as benefit of digital transformation. However, the cost of digital transformation is still very high. If data is only used for the optimization of enterprises, it is difficult to cover the cost of early-phase digital transformation. Therefore, it is necessary to share this data with 3rd parties so that more 3rd parties can subscribe to valuable IoT data. Here, the enterprise’s expectation is that the data will be authentic and reliable for the whole life cycle, which requires the trustworthiness of the IoT supply chain and value chain at every stage. Not surprisingly, this process starts from the lowest source of IoT devices, through to a full evolution to optimize so-called “trust to be free”. BoAT blockchain application framework has been integrated with Microsoft Azure Sphere IoT security capabilities to allow IoT equipment data security on the cloud while concurrently also being trusted on the chain; this duly assurance helps to utilize the full life cycle from the source of data security and trust, allowing data users to verify data on the chain in the future. The data life cycle here is divided into “first half + second half”. Whereas “accessing the cloud” is the first half of the data life cycle (realizing the collection and analysis of data and mining the value of data), and “accessing the blockchain” is the second half (accomplished through blockchain and private computing). This results in the openness and exchange of data to fully appreciate the commercial closed-loop aspect of data value.
Combining The BoAT+ Microsoft Azure Sphere technologies facilitates truly sustainable digital transformation. Let’s highlight below the 3 main security capabilities of Microsoft Azure Sphere to support the integrated application of IoT + blockchain:
1 Root of Trust: a unique device ID used to authenticate the authenticity of remote IoT devices and create end-to-end security channels.
2 Security domain: IoT devices can securely generate and store blockchain private keys in a security domain or “vault”. At the same time, sensitive data calculations can also be performed within a secure domain in a trusted environment.
3 Hardware acceleration of cryptography: hardware acceleration support for cryptography algorithms used in blockchain protocols.
Carbon-neutral (zero) goals drive trusted carbon data on-chain as key layout of enterprise digital ESG
In the past few years, people have gained_deeper_understanding of carbon neutrality. Carbon neutrality is materializing as an important part of building a community with a shared future for mankind. At the same time, with the gradual promotion of data as a factor of production by the government, the policy of building a more perfect “market-based allocation of factors of production” has gradually become clear. “data” is becoming a new type of factor of production, hence the IoT and blockchain technologies could emerge as key chess pieces for a carbon digital infrastructure of digital economy. More and more companies are actively building their own diversified ESG reports, and enterprise environmental contribution is becoming a key part of the annual report together with its financial performance.
Enterprise customers have problems in carbon data collection when constructing their own ESG reports, including the following hereunder:
§ One certificate for multiple sales, issues arising when CCER/VCS/green certificate, etc. belong to different environmental rights, registration, and issuance institutions, which results in information barriers forming between countries and industries;
§ implements the transfer of “trust” in a lengthy mechanism that relies on third-party manual verification
§ CCER project has a long development cycle and high development cost
Leo specifically pointed out that more and more enterprises hope to open up real-time carbon data reporting channels to third parties (e.g. government regulatory authorities, carbon exchanges, industry upstream and downstream resources, etc.) to verify the authenticity of carbon data by relying on innovative carbon management strategies such as those used for blockchain and IoT technologies.
By collecting and uploading carbon emission-related data of enterprises in real-time, forming enterprise carbon reports, ensuring ownership of carbon data, providing a basic environment for carbon data exchange, and fully exploiting the value of carbon data, it can effectively help enterprises solve the key problems in the carbon trading market. M (measurement) R (report) V (verification) trust issues, enhance the competitiveness of sustainable development of enterprises, and promote the practical implementation of the carbon-neutral policy.
Typical implementation Use cases of Low Carbon Emission Park management platform
During the conference, Patty Tu, head of Wanxiang Blockchain's "Blockchain +" Technology Department, released a very important plan of Wanxiang Blockchain's blueprint for their Zero Carbon Emission Park Management Platform Solution. Wanxiang Blockchain, Microsoft Azure Sphere, and aitos.io jointly created and crafted this solution. It was augmented alongside blockchain and IoT technologies, the joint-creation was aimed at park and group enterprises for the trusted tracking and management of carbon emissions, carbon emission reduction, and carbon assets in the whole cycle, and to help the digital low-carbon transformation of enterprises in the park. At this same meeting, Leo Lin introduced three specific use cases to be implemented at "Zero Carbon Park".
Background:
By the end of June 2020, the number of new energy vehicle charging station columns in China totaled 1.32 million, including 558,000 public charging columns and 763,000 private charging columns. As the source collection point of carbon data, these intelligent charging columns can document and report the usage data and status alarms of charging columns safely and credibly. On one hand, it does acknowledge the monitoring and investigation of security risks and uses blockchain to ensure that data can be trusted and verified. At the same time, reliable data will be provided for the establishment of a series of battery lifecycle management, battery storage + charge-discharge integration statistics, especially the multi-agent cooperation mechanisms for carbon data trading.
Leo introduced: "We delivered a live demo today together with Microsoft and Wanxiang Blockchain. It is a miniaturized photovoltaic power generation device. The green energy generation, together with the device ID, time and location information were uploaded onto the blockchain to deliver reliable green power monitoring (M) reporting (R) data, and verification (V) after authenticating the records into a chain.
By adopting blockchain technology, on the one hand, price standard, owner information, electricity data and other information on the chain, all authorized accounting nodes on the chain can share the distributed ledger, to achieve data verification among multiple stakeholders;
On the other hand, credible green power data can become a green certificate as financial derivatives, which can be used to offset the carbon emissions of enterprises to achieve carbon neutrality goals. The status of credible distributed photovoltaic equipment is observable, measurable and controllable, which is used for insurance and financial services. Institutions provide credible risk control reports. For future blockchain-based distributed photovoltaic power generation trading systems, green power can be trusted and traceable from the source data.
Background:
During the 14th Five-Year Planning period of China, Ecology and Environment in China entered a new stage of coordinated treatment of pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction. Green transportation is one of the key tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan. Two-wheeled electric vehicles and shared electric bikes are one of the important ways for citizens to participate in achieving “carbon neutrality”. At present, the entire industry of shared motorcycles can reduce carbon by 1.636 million tons per year, which truly is a significant carbon reduction value for urban transportation sectors. The number of two-wheeled electric vehicles (bikes & motorcycles) in China today exceeds 250 million; The number of charging instances for these EVs exceeds 100 million charges per day. The number of high-frequency users exceeds 20 million per day, of which, delivery men account for more than half of this total. The emergence of battery-service operators is specifically targeted at electric vehicle deliverymen for such vehicle charging services. By deploying the Internet of Things + Blockchain technologies, the battery asset management platform in the vehicle-electricity separation mode can be fully achieved. Battery data is uploaded to the chain, transfer of data trust is realized, and finally, the separation of battery ownership, use rights, and management rights are also achieved.
The main objective of the built-in BoAT blockchain application framework in the battery management system (BMS) platform is to establish a unique blockchain “ID tracker” per each battery, the whole life cycle of data can then be tracked, and key data can be verified on the chain; Secondly, cryptography and privacy computing enhances the trusted data collaboration between multiple parties, and benefits the establishment of a trusted interaction mechanism between multiple subjects, under the condition of protecting data privacy. Third, the chain of transaction record data in the whole process of manufacturing, two-wheel operation, quality assurance and maintenance, echelon utilization, and recovery is tamper-proof and traceable to reduce the cost of trust acquisition of upstream and downstream businesses. The desired result is to achieve positive quality management and value traceability, as well as reverse quality traceability. Fourth, credible management of the carbon footprint in the battery life cycle helps to generate more credible reports for government regulation, enterprise ESG, and financial services.
Background:
By the end of June 2020, the number of new energy vehicle charging station columns in China totaled 1.32 million, including 558,000 public charging columns and 763,000 private charging columns. As the source collection point of carbon data, these intelligent charging columns can document and report the usage data and status alarms of charging columns safely and credibly. On one hand, it does acknowledge the monitoring and investigation of security risks and uses blockchain to ensure that data can be trusted and verified. At the same time, reliable data will be provided for the establishment of a series of battery lifecycle management, battery storage + charge-discharge integration statistics, especially the multi-agent cooperation mechanisms for carbon data trading.
Leo concluded “IoT modules with BoAT embedded inside ensure data is signed and uploaded to the blockchain in real-time and reliability, ensuring that all types of reliable and verifiable carbon data will be implemented based on methodology for carbon emission analysis, classification, carbon bill generation, enterprise carbon emission prediction, diagnosis, optimization, etc. To provide for the efficient and intelligent management of carbon data for government and enterprise customers. “We also look forward to working with our industry partners onsite and online to build a trusted carbon digital infrastructure based on key technologies such as the BoAT combined with Microsoft’s Azure Sphere.”
About aitos.io
aitos.io is a technology start-up focusing on the integrated innovation of IoT and Blockchain. By combining its own rich resources in the IoT industry, aitos.io has raised the standard for an open-sourced blockchain application framework BoAT (Blockchain of AI Things) with delivered via IoT chipset and module to enable IoT devices quickly implement trusted data on-chain and access the blockchain services. At the end of 2019, aitos.io and nine mainstream cellular wireless module manufacturers jointly initiated the Blockchain IoT Module alliance, and successively released their own brands of BoAT blockchain module products. This resulted in hundreds of millions of IoT devices equipped with the capability of blockchain services access as a trusted entry of IoT+Blockchain application. aitos.io’s vision is to leverage an alliance of global IoT vendors to empower them to tap the value of applications and data.
At the beginning of the project launch in the end of 2018, aitos.io received angel investment from the IoT industry expert group and strategic investment from Wanxiang Blockchain. In December 2018, aitos.io was awarded membership into ARM Accelerator Camp. In June 2019, aitos.io emerged as the founding member of China Unicom IoT and Wanxiang Blockchain IoT+Blockchain Joint Innovation Center. In November, aitos.io became a empowerment partner of Microsoft’s AI and IoT Lab . In August 2020, aitos.io transitioned into Tencent’s Blockchain Accelerator program as the first member. In February 2021, aitos.io joined RISC-V International as strategic member and initiated to form new Blockchain SIG (special interest group). In April, aitos.io initiated 1st China technical requirements standards for trusted blockchain access of IoT terminals.
