Freight transport is not solely about moving products from point A to point B; it also involves handling confidential data and documents throughout the entire supply chain, which must be safeguarded: this is why digital corridors were created: mapping international trade.
To achieve this, virtual platforms exist that streamline administrative processes while protecting data and promoting a more efficient and sustainable service. “Digital corridors arise from the need to coordinate all the actors involved in supply chain management within a single digital ecosystem, using technologies like Blockchain to provide document security guarantees,” explains Cristina Martín Lorenzo, CEO of Usyncro, a Spanish initiative with years of successful experience, recognized by UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development).
Manufacturers, carriers, customers, banks, customs agents, freight forwarders, and authorities from various countries where the goods pass through can share information — while maintaining data governance — linked to the shipment, speeding up operations, reducing the risk of fraud, and eliminating both paperwork and unnecessary travel.
A paradigm shift
Although technological transition is happening globally, the transformation is not always simple, especially in traditional sectors that require fundamental changes. “The effort to digitize is significant. Logistics and transport rely heavily on paper-based documentation, and the accompanying legislation is not fully in place yet. However, there are already European directives paving the way, such as the CSRD or requirements related to the transport of certain products (like CBAM), to ensure a more sustainable management,” the expert notes.
In this regard, Usyncro suggests adding functionalities that support the evolution of European customs management while also helping to overcome the challenge of technology adoption. “Professionals fear being replaced, but in reality, we seek to add value to human labor,” she affirms. Digitization is not just a format swap; it aims to create a global, digital environment where technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Blockchain, and robotics are already the present.
These technologies, particularly Blockchain, provide supply chains with not only the immutability of pertinent documents but also traceability and decentralized access to data. “In combination with AI, for example, it allows the automation of many repetitive processes and swiftly identifies errors, reducing the chances of fraud,” says Martín Lorenzo. This way, buyers, sellers, and other parties involved can authenticate the data in their transactions, resolving procedures that might otherwise require 20 to 50 steps just by uploading a digital document and sharing it in a single virtual space.
Significant impact on risk management
Digital corridors allow information to be shared in a secure environment while always maintaining data governance and expanding its reach among authorities from different countries. “We must remember that logistics handles very sensitive and strategic data, so it’s essential for each actor to be confident that the shared documents remain unchanged,” they state at Usyncro. The security and transparency provided by Blockchain have enabled progress towards offering complementary services to all supply chain actors, coordinating the documentation associated with an operation through a single, distributed, and synchronized ledger, accessible and verifiable by the parties involved in the transaction, including official institutions like customs or tax agencies.
Additionally, “the guarantees offered by this technology are useful for insuring goods or securing financing, with corresponding improvements in premiums or conditions thanks to the transparent and validated documentation. Similarly, traceability and the ability to create predictive models in the face of global conflicts or supply chain risks represent a substantial advancement in the insurance field and the evaluation of certain loads,” says Martín Lorenzo.
A progressive development How has this technology evolved, and what milestones led to its recognition by the UN?
The consolidation of this technology has gone through various stages of development, with trials of different scales and distances to prove its effectiveness. The Usyncro example began in 2018 from the experience of its CEO, Cristina Martín, who started with a project focused on customs that in 2021 took on a more comprehensive approach. “That’s when this SaaS platform (open, flexible, and interoperable with other technologies) was born with the vision of bringing disruptive technologies like AI and Blockchain to businesses of all sizes,” with the added goal of “reducing the operational carbon footprint through digitalization and connectivity of all supply chain actors, firmly committed to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” asserts the founder. “Interoperability between platforms and technologies is part of our DNA to achieve a more secure, agile, and sustainable supply chain management,” she concludes.