Nestlé opens sustainability challenge in China; partners with OpenSC to pilot open blockchain
Nestlé R&D China has announced an open innovation challenge in collaboration with Tsinghua x-lab based in Beijing. In other news, Nestlé has announced it will collaborate with OpenSC—a blockchain platform that allows consumers to track their food back to the farm—to boost its supply chain transparency.
Nestlé R&D China has announced an open innovation challenge in collaboration with Tsinghua x-lab based in Beijing. To engage with China’s academic community, Nestlé partnered with Tsinghua x-lab, a Tsinghua University education platform that is designed to foster student creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. During the challenge, 30 students and faculty members will enter a five-month acceleration program to identify new solutions for product packaging and business models across four areas: recyclable or reusable, e-commerce, gifting, and consumer education and engagement. The teams will have access to Nestlé’s R&D expertise and infrastructure at the R&D center in Beijing, including labs and prototyping facilities.
The challenge will end with a final event, where teams will pitch their ideas to a panel of judges that will include executives from Nestlé, Tsinghua University professionals, and industry experts. The top three ideas will be awarded prizes and the opportunity to further develop their concept in partnership with Nestlé.
In other news, Nestlé has announced it will collaborate with OpenSC—a blockchain platform that allows consumers to track their food back to the farm—to boost its supply chain transparency. Through this collaboration, Nestlé becomes the first major food and beverage company to announce that it will pilot open blockchain technology in this way. Founded by WWF-Australia and The Boston Consulting Group Digital Ventures, OpenSC has developed a platform that will give anyone, anywhere access to independently verifiable sustainability and supply chain data.
The initial pilot program will trace milk from farms and producers in New Zealand to Nestlé factories and warehouses in the Middle East. Later, the technology will be tested using palm oil sourced in the Americas. These pilots will allow Nestlé to understand how scalable the system is.
“We want our consumers to make an informed decision on their choice of products—to choose products produced responsibly. Open blockchain technology might allow us to share reliable information with consumers in an accessible way,” said Magdi Batato, executive vice president, head of operations, Nestlé S.A.
Nestlé has piloted blockchain technology since 2017, most prominently with IBM Food Trust. In April, it gave consumers access to blockchain data for the first time, through Mousline purée in France.