# BLOCH4MAT - Blockchain-based Traceability for Ceramic and Building Materials

> The BLOCH4MAT research project has been developing a blockchain platform for complete traceability of ceramic tiles and building materials throughout the entire supply chain since February 2024. Coordinated by the University of Bologna, the project runs until February 2026 and aims to make the complex and fragmented supply chain of the ceramics industry more transparent through tamper-proof documentation. The blockchain solution is intended to be integrated with BIM systems and other digitization processes and will be validated both at laboratory and industrial scale.

**Sector:** Secondary sector · **Industry:** Glass and ceramics industry · **Organisation:** Confindustria Ceramica · **Maturity level:** Pilot

Canonical URL: https://www.sapientblock.com/en/use-cases/confindustria-ceramica-materialdaten-unveraenderlich-zertifizieren

## Documentation status

- **Project status:** Pilot
- **Evidence:** Evidence high
- **Editorial review:** Ufuk Avci, 15 April 2026

## Description

In the ceramics and glass industry, material data is critical: strength, thermal expansion, chemical resistance, and other properties must be testable and reproducible. Until now, test protocols have been paper-based or stored in internal databases — vulnerable to manipulation, errors, and data loss. Blockchain creates immutable, timestamped test records.

Research projects at the University of Bologna (Prof. Maria Bignozzi, Materials Science) and within the Futuro in Ricerca consortium, as well as publications in Ceramic World Review (CWR), investigate how blockchain can improve quality documentation in the ceramics and glass industry. The concept: test results from accredited laboratories are stored as blockchain-anchored data sets. The timestamp is immutable; subsequent corrections generate new data sets linked to the original entry. This facilitates: (1) accreditation evidence according to DIN/ISO/EN standards — regulators can instantly verify test histories. (2) product liability — in damage cases, material properties at the time of manufacture can be seamlessly proven. (3) circular economy — recycled ceramic materials require verifiable properties as a prerequisite for reuse in demanding applications.

## Benefits

- Companies can position themselves as premium and sustainability providers through transparent supply chains.
- Blockchain technology creates complete transparency in the complex supply chain of the ceramics industry.
- Tamper-proof documentation of all production steps increases trust among all parties involved.
- Integration with BIM systems significantly improves digital construction processes.
- Employees benefit from reduced manual documentation tasks and more precise data foundations for their decisions.

## Challenges

- Smaller suppliers without extensive IT infrastructure require additional support for system integration.
- Integrating various actors in the fragmented ceramics industry requires considerable coordination efforts.
- The technical complexity of blockchain integration into existing production and management systems is high.
- Employees must be trained in new blockchain technologies to use the systems effectively.

## Technology foundation

The project develops a specially adapted blockchain model for the specific requirements of the ceramics and building materials industry. Blockchain technology is particularly suitable for this application as it enables immutable documentation of all production steps and strengthens trust between different actors in the supply chain.

## Sources

- [Università Bologna - Maria Bignozzi CV](https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/maria.bignozzi/cv-en)
- [Cieffeerre Laboratori e Progetti](https://www.cieffeerre.it/Laboratori%20e%20Progetti)
- [CWR 158-2024 PDF](https://ctasc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CWR-158-2024.pdf)