Objectives of the service
Coordination and management of logistics tasks in a global and dynamic context can be highly challenging. Logistics processes can often be extremely time-critical, fragmented, and opaque. Full-tracking coverage in remote areas with limited internet connection or unreliable telecommunications infrastructure (last mile) is still not provided by existing logistics systems, but often required. Additionally even in areas with good connectivity, sabotage, hybrid warfare, natural disasters and other disruptions to communications infrastructure make existing logistics tracking systems vulnerable to failure.
Track & Trust is a modular system suitable for many supply chain use cases, with the humanitarian sector as one good example. Humanitarian aid organizations use the data provided by Track & Trust to enhance their management of disaster relief in intractable areas. At the same time, logistics firms can integrate the Track & Trust API to receive shipment data from such remote areas and augment their supply chain services.
Logistics firms who adopt Track & Trust take advantage of a combination of scalable satellite and IoT mesh-based technologies. The generic mesh nodes, which act as a multiplier for satellite uplinks and additionally for traditional 4/5G networks, reduce low line-of-sight constraints, and provide seamless global coverage. They also ensure high uptime and minimal maintenance of the network nodes.
Users and their needs
Track & Trust serves a number of user groups. The product is ideal for humanitarian aid organizations and logistics companies supporting them. It is also ideal for western logistics companies who want to make their operations more resilient in the face of risks posed by malicious tampering, asymmetric attacks, and catastrophic events.
The main pilot user group of Track and Trust was humanitarian aid organizations which must coordinate and monitor their aid deliveries. Generally, they are obliged to provide up-to-date information to their funders. With Track & Trust, they create trust by transparency.
A second critical user group includes logistics companies and their IT departments who need as much information as possible about the delivery processes for coordination and development of their provided services. In this context, data from remote areas are highly valuable. These data can be integrated directly into the services of the IT departments resulting in a higher value tracking system.
Service/ system concept
Track & Trust offers four beneficial functionalities, which enable last-mile-tracking in remote areas or require disruption resilient tracking:
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Highly usable user interface: The mobile application is easy to use, and mesh nodes are plug & play.
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Immutable blockchain-based transactions: The system increases user trust with a transparent tamper-resilient system for recording any shipment updates.
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Efficient satellite data uplink: The system lowers operational costs through an efficient use of satellite data transmissions.
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Highly reliable IoT Mesh Network: The Mesh Network requires zero configuration and allows for ad-hoc and offline communications to be deployed by last mile logistics service providers easily alongside their deliveries.
The system is designed to be upgraded in a modular fashion. At each point along the journey for any updates, stakeholders are interviewed to guide development and ensure usability, so that an intuitive user experience can be offered.
Space Added Value
With the help of space technologies, the underlying blockchain transactions of Track & Trust can be deployed in remote areas with less developed network infrastructure. This is relevant for humanitarian aid logistics and for emergency preparedness. A remote IoT-Mesh-Node transports securely authenticated shipment information to one of the IoT-Mesh-Nodes connected to satellite uplinks. The shipment updates are then uploaded via a satellite terminal along with GNSS metadata. Once data is successfully posted via the assistance of satellite communications, the information is immutably recorded in the blockchain and made available to all the relevant stakeholders through the Track & Trust solution.
Current Status
The Demonstration Project started in July 2021 and was led by Datarella as consortium lead. Datarella was supported by two technology companies including Weaver Labs and OroraTech. Requirement analysis was conducted with potential stakeholders, who include logistics experts and major humanitarian actors. Based on the needs and requirements as expressed by the potential customers, the system and service architecture of Track & Trust was developed resulting in the delivery of a system ready for real shipments in remote areas. A piloting agreement was signed with an innovative humanitarian aid organization, which initiated aid supplies shipments tracking using Track & Trust. Pilot operations were successfully undertaken in Lebanon concluding in March 2025. The team is very proud to have successfully executed this pilot in one of the most challenging environments in the world.
At present, the project is successfully concluded. Sales outreach activities are ongoing in the logistics sector as well as in adjacent markets such as disaster preparedness, life sciences and safety and security. Feedback from adjacent markets has been very positive leading to the possibility of extending the project activity to comply with feature requests from these markets.
Prime Contractor(s)
