Students from IBM’s Extreme Blue internship programme have developed a prototype system to improve product traceability and provide consumers with deeper insights into a product’s lifecycle.

Over the past three months the companies have collaborated on what they have called the Voyage system, using IBM Public Cloud and the IBM Blockchain platform to gather data could allow consumers to trace a garment’s production journey and lifecycle, while learning more about the processes involved in its creation. It was designed by the interns to be trialled for functionality in Burberry’s mobile App.

The Voyage system works by identifying a product through scanning a near-field communication tag or entering a product ID, before outlining a product’s development journey. Users can configure their own sustainability preferences and receive tailored product recommendations. Users might also add information about a product’s journey to include additional stages in its lifecycle such as recycling and upcycling. In this way, the system could show users the role their potential purchase would play in giving a product new life and helping to minimise waste.

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