The “Tech against Corona” Initiative of Dutch tech companies including TYMLEZ offers free support in the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19). To this end, an online meeting took place on Wednesday 25 March between various tech companies and civil servants, including MPs. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss how these companies can contribute to the fight against the coronavirus through their services and products.
In an interview with Blockchain News, Associate Professor at the University of Amsterdam and TYMLEZ CTO Jaap Gordijn stated:
“Blockchain can be the enabling platform to prevent value extraction due to its transparency. With medical supplies, value extraction is occurring and price gouging has ensued. Blockchain can prevent a power concentration since information is equally accessible for everyone in that medical supply chain.”
“Our proposition is now being discussed with the ministries and we have proposed an ecosystem modelling of the current situation concerning the distribution of medical supplies (supply chain logistics). Based on that assessment we can do a risk/fraud/economical value analysis. Then we will take on the ecosystem requirements for blockchain – we need to understand the baseline first. Furthermore, based on the ecosystem modelling we will elicit and engineer the blockchain requirements.”
The starting point is with government, aid workers, care providers and hospitals – who can make free use of the knowledge, skills and algorithms of these companies that have reached out to help.
In other media reports, Jan Middendorp (Member of Parliament, VVD) said:
“We stay at home to keep each other safe. Technology can help to keep us safe. It is, therefore, more important than ever in these exceptional times for governments and tech companies to work together.”
The “Tech against Corona” Initiative already involves more than 10 companies and is an initiative of Public Matters, a public affairs and lobby consultancy. Following a similar idea in the United Kingdom, the goal is to make as many concrete and feasible agreements as possible between governments and tech companies.
Leading Dutch enterprise blockchain company TYMLEZ (TYM), public on the Australian Stock Exchange – is modelling the medical goods supply chain ecosystem through a transparent and open blockchain platform that matches supply and demand.
In other tech industry support situations, Cybersprint recently investigated fake RIVM websites and COVID-19 malware attacks against hospitals, together with Huib Modderkolk (investigative journalist), and offered to protect these hospitals. In addition, Compumatica will improve the internet connections of home workers with critical professions.
Traxion can help with the rapid addition of large and varying amounts of volunteers to online systems, and KPN and the Microsoft Netherlands team are thinking about connecting new technologies to existing systems.
Chris van Dam (Member of Parliament, CDA) added:
“It’s fantastic that these companies are willing to assist the government. These smart tech-heads are desperately needed right now.”
In terms of national defence, the Royal Dutch Army is already fully engaged in providing crisis support in the form of planners, medical workers and specialist equipment (including respiratory equipment). The planners are deployed at both the national and regional level.
“Behind the scenes, there is even more capacity in many forms to be deployed on instructions from administrative and medical authorities,” said Chief of Operations of the Dutch Army, Colonel Hans van Dalen.
“The Ministry of Defense plays an important supporting role in the fight against Corona and collaborates extensively with the business community in other areas as well.”
Jan Middendorp (Member of Parliament, VVD) noted:
“We stay at home to keep each other safe. Technology can help with this. It is, therefore, more important than ever in this exceptional time for governments and tech companies to work together.”
*Note: The writer, Richard Kastelein is on the advisory board of Tymlez.
