Aerospace suppliers are starting to explore blockchain technology to keep tabs on their supply chain, potentially tracking parts such as that at the center of a Southwest Airlines accident last month.

Despite the continued buzz around the potential for blockchain technology to enhance data security in the supply chain, the airfreight industry has seen a slow start to creating tangible application. But last week, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba put its word into action by premiering its own blockchain-encrypted platform, the Food Trust Framework.

The European Union is preparing to roll out an important new rule this month known as the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, which is intended to strengthen and unify data protection for all people within the EU.