Lead by ERCIM member Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the aim of the group is to build a community of European researchers exploring the opportunities for computer science research in the area of blockchain technology. The group was established in the follow-up of the ERCIM workshop on Blockchain Technology in May 2017 in Paris and the special theme of ERCIM News 110 "Blockchain Engineering" in July 2017.
It has become evident that blockchain technology relates to a variety of diverse areas of computer science research, including:
- P2P networks;
- Distributed systems (in particular scalability);
- Cryptography (with a focus on crypto-agility);
- Consensus-building and validation;
- The software life-cycle and security of smart contracts;
- Standardization of protocols;
- Blockchain application and integration;
- Process modelling and governance.
The mission of the group is to examine the establishment of Blockchain Technology as a field of computer science research in Europe. This includes:
- Solidify, nurture and further incubate the fledgling community of European Blockchain technology research already established at ERCIM;
- Foster an “interdisciplinary” exchange between European researchers specialised in the various fields that blockchain technology covers (P2P, cryptography, …);
- Establish a roadmap documenting ongoing research and open research questions in the rapidly moving field of blockchain technology;
- Organize one or more ERCIM workshops on Blockchain technology to support the dissemination of research results;
- Create a community that will be in a position to successfully establish collaborative research projects on a European level;
- Develop, analyse and evaluate Blockchain applications, networks and infrastructures.
The main event will be a workshop to be held in Amsterdam in combination with the ERCIM Spring meeting, May 8-9 2018, organized by members of the group.
Scientists and researchers from ERCIM member institutions and other organizations are invited to join the group. For more information, please contact the Working Group chair, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Fraunhofer
Gesellschaft.