A blockchain architecture with smart contracts for an additive symbiotic network - a case study

Inês A. Ferreira (), Guido Palazzo, António Pinto, Pedro Pinto, Pedro Sousa, Radu Godina and Helena Carvalho
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Inês A. Ferreira: NOVA School of Science and Technology
Guido Palazzo: B-PET, C/ Botiguers. 3 Oficina 1J Edificio Onofre
António Pinto: CIICESI, ESTG, Politécnico do Porto and CRACS & INESC TEC
Pedro Pinto: ADiT-Lab, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo & INESC TEC
Pedro Sousa: CIICESI, ESTG, Politécnico do Porto and CRACS & INESC TEC
Radu Godina: NOVA School of Science and Technology
Helena Carvalho: NOVA School of Science and Technology

Operations Management Research, 2025, vol. 18, issue 2, No 6, 537-553

Abstract: Abstract Adopting innovative technologies such as blockchain and additive manufacturing can help organisations promote the development of additive symbiotic networks, thus pursuing higher sustainable goals and implementing circular economy strategies. These symbiotic networks correspond to industrial symbiosis networks in which wastes and by-products from other industries are incorporated into additive manufacturing processes. The adoption of blockchain technology in such a context is still in a nascent stage. Using the case study method, this research demonstrates the adoption of blockchain technology in an additive symbiotic network of a real-life context. The requirements to use a blockchain network are identified, and an architecture based on smart contracts is proposed as an enabler of the additive symbiotic network under study. The proposed solution uses the Hyperledger Fabric Attribute-Based Access Control as the distributed ledger technology. Even though this solution is still in the proof-of-concept stage, the results show that adopting it would allow the elimination of intermediary entities, keep available tracking records of the resources exchanged, and improve trust among the symbiotic stakeholders (that do not have any trust or cooperation mechanisms established before the symbiotic relationship). This study highlights that the complexity associated with introducing a novel technology and the technology’s immaturity compared to other data storage technologies are some of the main challenges related to using blockchain technology in additive symbiotic networks.

Keywords: Circular economy; Additive symbiotic networks; Blockchain technology; Blockchain architecture; Smart contracts; Case study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s12063-024-00508-x

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