Blockchain, 3D printing, The Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, electronic commerce, fintech, the sharing economy, and robotics – digital technologies are changing the way the world trades.
A QUT symposium, The Future of Trade, will explore and discuss opportunities such technologies bring for countries, multinational companies, SMEs and citizens tomorrow, Wednesday 10 April at Gardens Point campus.
Researchers from the QUT Faculty of Law, the QUT Institute for Future Environments and the QUT Chair in Digital Economy will be joined by Trade and Investment Queensland CEO Paul Martyn, and researchers from UNSW, RMIT, University of Adelaide, and University of Queensland for the one-day symposium.
Dr Felicity Deane will address the gathering on Transparency in animal welfare and food fraud: The benefits and challenges of blockchain for trade to propose that blockchain applications could assist in transparency in livestock production and animal material supply chains while improving animal welfare.
"High demand for quality foods has led to problems such as fraud, where unsubstantiated product quality claims are made, and waste when foods not meeting standards are discarded," Dr Deane said.
"A third challenge is animal welfare, and I will argue that blockchain technology could enhance implementation of improved and dedicated principles of transparency in animal welfare which may result in additional benefits for supply chain integrity and sustainability."
By 2022 Australia's trade value chain will be mostly digital, says Dr Md Shahiduzzaman from the QUT Chair in Digital Economy who will speak on how to capture the value of digital trade.
Citing the success of Brisbane-based in-browser, video-production technology stack, Clipchamp which has 4.3 million registered user, 95 per cent of whom are outside Australia, Dr Shahiduzzaman will explore Australia's current trends and future prospects of digital exports.
"We need to capture the value of digital trade and analyse present and future trends because they have significant implications for policy on market access, trade facilitation and skills development," he said.
"Our study has reviewed the measurement and patterns of Australia's digital trade and identified information gaps and their policy implications."
Also on the agenda are:
- Clearcut: Intellectual Property, 3D Printing, and the Future of Trade - Professor Matthew Rimmer, QUT Faculty of Law
- Regulating Work and Contracts in a Transnational Sharing Economy - Professor Andrew Stewart, University of Adelaide
- To Intervene or Not to Intervene in the Sharing Economy - Associate Professor Renuka Mahadevan, University of Queensland
- Artificial Intelligence and Trade - The Human Problem, Dr Michael Guihot, QUT.
- Blockchain and the future of trade - Dr Chris Berg, RMIT
The free symposium will be held on Wednesday, 10 April 2019 from 8.30pm to 5pm, in the Gibson Room, Z Block, Level 10 at QUT Gardens Point. Tickets.
