Workshop “OMEI – Blockchain, what is it?” sets new perspectives for businesses in rural areas

As part of the OMEI (Open Mobility Electric Infrastructure) funding project, a workshop on "Blockchain & Smart Contracts" was recently held, organized by the Ilzer Land region in cooperation with the University of Passau. Entrepreneurs and interested parties from the region took advantage of the opportunity to expand their knowledge, gain practical experience with blockchain and smart contracts, and explore the diverse potential of this innovative technology. 

Dr. Thomas Weiss, CEO of Authentic Vision and an expert on blockchain, traveled from Salzburg especially to speak at the workshop. He explained what blockchain is and what makes it special: it is digitally distributed, automated, transparent, and secure, meaning it cannot be changed retrospectively. Manuel Lehner from the University Passau spoke about how local businesses benefit from digital transformation, presenting three possible scenarios: How do you use your own electricity when you're not at home? How can you trade electricity directly from A to B? How does a dynamic change of electricity provider work, i.e., so-called smart contract energy trading? Felix Förster from OLI Systems also delivered a particularly practical presentation, addressing how small and medium-sized companies in particular can use this blockchain technology to make processes more efficient and what possible products could look like. While the financial and energy sectors, with their accounting, billing, and energy trading, are particularly predestined for blockchain applications, potential scenarios for increased automation also arise for supply chains, traceability, and much more. These applications demonstrate how groundbreaking blockchain technology is and how companies can secure competitive advantages by addressing and applying such innovations early on.

During the breaks, participants had the opportunity to explore various applications in the energy sector with blockchain-based simulations at laptop stations. For example, how does dynamic energy trading work in conjunction with smart contracts? They were accompanied by experts from the University of Passau, who provided insights into the technical background of these solutions. The project members, in turn, benefited from valuable practical feedback from the participants, which can then be incorporated into the simulations. The technology was also examined in more detail using a so-called photo blockchain.