ICP Blockchain Technology Revolutionizes Authentication and Digital Certification of Real Products

Smart contracts on the Internet Computer enable digital certificates for “100% Made in Italy” label to bring back consumer trust.

From Parmigiano Reggiano to Barolo wines and some of the best luxury brands in the world, the “100% Made in Italy” label is synonymous with high-quality, artisanal products that are crafted with care and attention to detail.

However, counterfeiting and “Italian sounding” have been persistent issues that have damaged the economy and the reputation of these authentic products across the world. This is a problem faced by most luxury and artisanal brands anywhere on the planet and existing solutions have not been satisfactory.

ICP Blockchain for Authenticity and Certification

Blockchain technology offers the ideal solution for deterring the issue of counterfeiting of artisanal and luxury products. The very architecture of blockchain technology built on the principles of decentralization and distributed networks enables solutions built on it to be highly secure, transparent, and non-modifiable. However, while the technology has been available for some years it has faced challenges of being expensive and not very efficient, leading to low adoption for mass-use cases like this one.

With the Internet Computer (ICP) blockchain, it’s now possible to build scalable solutions on the blockchain that are easy to use, low cost, and most importantly, environmentally sustainable. ICP makes it possible to build fully on-chain solutions at scale that can run at web speed, which in turn, gives end-users a web2-like experience on the blockchain.

Tradition meets Innovation

To create the “100% Made in Italy” label, the DFINITY Foundation, ORIGYN Foundation, and FEDERITALY have partnered to offer a novel solution that utilizes tamper-proof certification to prove the authenticity and origin of Italian-made products.

FEDERITALY, a non-profit organization that represents over 7,000 registered companies and diverse businesses, is an institution dedicated to safeguarding the “100% Made in Italy” brand and fighting counterfeits. Their network extends globally with representatives and offices in more than 20 Countries.

The ORIGYN Foundation, a Swiss non-profit organization building on the Internet Computer Protocol, uses cutting-edge blockchain technology to provide digital certificates that can guarantee authenticity, identity, and ownership of valuable assets.

How it works

This solution works as a perfect blend of physical verification and digital authentication, while still keeping it simple for companies and users. In a nutshell, FEDERITALY will implement a strict process to verify the authenticity and supply chain of Italian-made products. If the product passes the verification process, a digital certificate will be issued and stored as a non-fungible token on the Internet Computer blockchain. This certificate will contain all essential details, from the product’s origin to its maker, and can be accessed with a simple scan of the product’s QR code using the ORIGYN certification platform.

The process can be simply explained in 8 steps:

1. The manufacturer will get their product certified as “100% Made in Italy”.
2. FEDERITALY takes the manufacturer through a rigorous offline certification process, which includes a complete audit, before issuing the certificate.
3. The information contained in the certificate is then securely stored in a canister smart contract on the ICP blockchain.
4. A QR code is generated from the certificate and delivered to the manufacturer.
5. The manufacturer is now authorized to use the QR Code and can print it on all certified product labels or marketing material.
6. By scanning the QR code, consumers are redirected on-chain, to the decentralized website hosted on the Internet Computer, where they can view the certificate and verify all the product details authenticated by FEDERITALY.
7. The canister smart contract hosts the Certificate and retrieves information for the consumer, giving them absolute certainty that the pieces of information are true and written on the blockchain.
8. The on-chain website will be publicly published and anyone can browse the list of products and brands that have been certified.

This innovative solution not only provides consumers with the trust they need, but also helps protect the economy and reputation of high-quality Italian products. With the use of blockchain technology, the authenticity of products is easily verifiable. It’s a win-win solution for all.

Stakeholder Benefits

Consumers will be able to trust the “100% Made in Italy” label. Before buying the product, they will be reassured that what they are purchasing is truly an authentic high-quality product. Consumers scan a QR code on the label, which leads them to a tamper-proof certificate, authenticated by FEDERITALY with all the information required to make their purchase decisions.

For companies, the certificate is a symbol of pride and quality, demonstrating their commitment to producing high-quality products using authentic Italian raw materials and manufacturing processes. This positions them as the Italian producers of the highest quality and makes them stand apart from the other competitive brands that are not authentic. This also allows producers to embrace the luxuriousness of their brand and to charge fair prices for their products without the pressure of having to compete with competitors putting out inauthentic look-alike products on the market.

How Is Different from a Regular Digital Certificate?

The Internet Computer blockchain architecture and its unique capabilities including the Reverse Gas Model used in this solution allow a completely new and cutting-edge approach. It uses a decentralized website hosted on the IC, which is the heart of the initiative, and is what really sets it apart and makes it unique compared to all other existing verification methods.

1. The information is stored in a decentralized and distributed manner, eliminating the need for a central authority.
2. The certificate is stored in an immutable format, ensuring that it cannot be altered or manipulated.
3. Unlike traditional websites hosted on centralized servers, a decentralized solution is used for this which is distributed across a network of independent nodes, making them more secure and reliable. The certificates hosted on the on-chain website will have a much higher level of privacy and security.
4. The overall on-chain experience, thanks to the web-speed of the Internet Computer, makes it impossible for the user to see the difference compared to a Web2 centralized solution.

Along with the speed, cost, and on-chain experience, an important factor that led FEDERITALY to choose ICP as a blockchain of choice is the fact that it is the most climate-friendly blockchain. As a result, this authenticity certification will be achieved in an extremely sustainable and efficient manner.

The partnership was announced in Rome at the Italian Senate and is a great example of how technology can be used to address real-world problems. By combining tradition with innovation, this revolutionary solution is set to transform the way the “Made in Italy” brand is protected, providing consumers with the trust they need.

With this technological solution, the framework to provide digital certificates for authenticity and origin verification is now ready for implementation and can be used across industries for authentication of luxury brands, education and medical certification, diamond certification, food safety, and counterfeit protection amongst others.

Moreover, this innovation marks a big step for the entire web3 industry. Firstly it provides a solution to a real-life problem and brings the use of blockchain to the mainstream, and secondly, it gives end-users a hands-on experience of using a blockchain, sometimes without them even realizing it— both big milestones.

Press Release

Learn more about the Internet Computer: internetcomputer.org
Follow the Internet Computer Story on Twitter: @dfinity

ICP Blockchain Technology Revolutionizes Authentication and Digital Certification of Real Products was originally published in The Internet Computer Review on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.