The Blockstart project aims to strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in health, logistics, and agro-food sectors through the implementation of blockchain technology, with a budget of 4.9 million euros. The project will provide coaching and develop tailored blockchain solutions to help SMEs overcome challenges, increase operational efficiency, and enhance data security. Participation is free for SMEs in North-West Europe, and the initiative hopes to raise awareness and adoption of blockchain, impacting over 1,700 SMEs.

1. Making SMEs stronger
with blockchain solutions
Place image in this
area.
Big Data Expo Utrecht
19th September 2019
Boukje Ehlen,
Brightlands Smart
Services Campus

2. Interreg NWE-project
• Duration: January 2019 – September 2022
• Total budget: 4,9 mln euro
• Funding from Interreg NWE: 2,9 mln euro
• 9 Project partners
• 17 associated partners
• Coordinated by Brightlands Smart Services Campus

3. Brightlands Chemelot Campus
Smart materials and sustainable
production of chemicals
85
1.971
755
Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo
Food and healthy nutrition
312
830
Brightlands Maastricht Health Campus
Regenerative and precision medicine, innovative
diagnostics
103
9.541
6.929
Brightlands Smart Services Campus
Data science and smart services
500
250
34
60
Data 1-1-2018

4. Smart Services Campus
• Include research capabilities into companies’ R&D
• Helping to break the innovator’s dilemma
• Stimulate and drive open innovation
• Spread access to the latest technologies
like Blockchain and IoT
• Create business relationships within
the campus ecosystem

5. Aim of Blockstart
To help small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) strengthen their competitive
positions through the use of blockchain technology.
Within the sectors:
• Health
• Logistics
• Agrofood
€600
billion
turnover
a year
x

6. Why blockchain for SME’s?
• Upcoming technology that is not yet grasped by many SME’s
• Potential is huge and relevant, and can cut costs and risks, e.g. by:
- Tracking shipments across (many) different organisations
- Sharing sensitive (medical) data between practitioners
- Assuring quality, safety and origin of food
• SME’s are vulnerable to risks, that could be solved by Blockchain technology,
but …
• SME’s often don’t have capacity to invest in these solutions by themselves

7. Activities
Inventory of SME challenges
Map them with blockchain problem solving potential
Choose 4 blockchain solutions to:
- Increase maturity level from “lab validation” (TRL4) to “demonstrated in relevant
environment” (TRL6)
Provide 3 coaching programs to:
- 60 SME’s to become aware of how blockchain can cut costs and risk in their company
Create innovation eco-system for SME-targeted blockchain solutions

8. SME Survey : participate!
• https://nl.surveymonkey.com/r/GWCRDRP
• You may qualify for coaching vouchers to learn more
about blockchain
• Any SME in North-West Europe can participate
• Based on SME needs training programme will be set-up
• Pilots will be determined to demonstrate, and you may
join!

9. Already Blockchain expert?
• Fill out our expert survey:
https://setsquaredsurrey.typeform.com/to/VD9TJl
• Be one of the experts to coach SME’s, or…
• Support the development of blockchain solutions in
the SME-pilots
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under
CC BY-SA-NC

10. Potential impact for SME’s
10%
20%
30%
Enabling operational efficiency
Reducing costs of data errors
Improving data security
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

11. Possible outputs and impact
• Technical solutions for SME’s, such as:
- digital smart contracts
- medical e-records
- combined food databases
• 1700+ SME’s that will learn about Blockchain
- Estimated 300 SMEs adopting, adding €100m turnover and 500 jobs
in 5 years.

12. Consortium brings:
• Technical know-how and blockchain
expertise
• Coaching skills
• Business models and incubation skills
• Dissemination and communication skills
• Network of SME’s
• Sector know-how and network

13. Project Partners

14. Associated Partners
The following associated partners have pledged their support for the project:
• Regio Foodvalley (Netherlands) Intersystems SAS (France)
• Stichting ICT Valley (Netherlands) European Logistics Centre Limburg (Netherlands)
• Letztblock A.S.B.L. (Luxembourg) Food Processing Initiative (Germany)
• Setsquared Partnership (United Kingdom) MecaTech Cluster (Belgium)
• Teagasc Food Research Centre (Ireland) Say Partners (France)
• FOM University of Applied Sciences (Germany) Dutch Blockchain Coalition (Netherlands)
• Fapics the French association for Eurometropolis Lille - Kortrijk - Tournai
supply chain management (France) (France and Belgium)
• Institute of Supply Chain Management Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology
(Czech Republic) (Luxembourg)
• BOM Business Development & Foreign Investments BV (Netherlands)

15. Interested?
Companies that are interested in the Blockstart
project can contact Brightlands Smart Services
Campus via
blockstart.smartservices@brightlands.com
Participation is free of charge for SMEs

16. Thank you for your
attention!
And thanks to all (associate) partners in the consortium and
for project management