Almost the entire automotive industry has joined forces this week to form the Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative (MOBI). This was announced by the newly created working group on the websites of its press partners. A total of more than 30 companies are involved in the project and will conduct research under a common flag - among them global corporations such as BMW, Bosch, Ford and General Motors. Together they want to create comprehensive standards and thus help the blockchain in the mobility industry to break through.
What otherwise makes cartel offices scream out loud is permitted in research and development. More than 30 of the largest suppliers, automotive and software manufacturers are now taking advantage of this. Together they founded the MOBI blockchain working group this week. A total of 70 percent of the world's automotive market is represented here - including giants such as Renault, Ford, General Motors and IBM. BMW and ZF Friedrichshafen are among those from Germany.
Together, the initiative wants to use the blockchain to make global transport "safer, more affordable and more accessible", according to the accompanying press release.
Instead of creating common distributed ledger solutions, MOBI wants to create common standards and make solutions compatible. In this way, chaos and the Babylonian confusion of language among the various systems is to be avoided.
The goals and fields of application that the working group has set itself since its foundation are no less diverse than the long list of its members. Concrete projects are to start soon in vehicle identification, sales chain management, car sharing, but also in the field of autonomous driving.
Transparent open source blockchains that are jointly available to the members should help here. The aim is to create an ecosystem that is as open as possible and initially provides only the network for cooperation.
In addition, the group of members is to be expanded in the near future and, among other things, government organizations are to be brought on board. As a result, tolls and public transport could also benefit from blockchain solutions and expand the project list in the future.
Blockchain expertise to achieve breakthrough
To make this ambitious mammoth project a success, the car manufacturers have gained a great deal of expertise from the scene. MOBI is led by Chris Balinger. He was previously head of the Toyota Research Institute. Other acquaintances of the blockchain industry will support him. Joseph Lubin, ConsenSys father and Ethereum co-founder, as well as Hyperledger director Brian Behlendorf complete the board of directors of MOBI.
"Blockchain and related confidence-enhancing technologies are ready to reinvent the automotive industry and the way customers buy, insure and use vehicles. By bringing manufacturers, suppliers, start-ups and government organizations together, we will increase the application to the benefit of businesses, consumers and society", Managing Director Balinger describes the vision of those involved.