From assistive technology to the backbone: the impact of blockchain in manufacturing

Blockchain refers to a collection of digitally connected applications originated to enable secure financial transactions but soon has evolved as a reliable tool for secure data management as well as the foundation for smart and sustainable manufacturing. This article tracks the evolution of blockchain technology for smart manufacturing using data mining approaches and tracks the critical developments in the field. We show that blockchain technology in manufacturing is still in its infancy and is expected to lay foundations for the development of the next levels of industrial revolution. We track the inter and intra-disciplinarity of the technology and knowledge diffusion between its various domains by clustering the technology into fifty-five subdomains. The developments in each of these subdomains are discussed in addition to tracking the knowledge gaps and future research initiatives to further develop the technology. Based on the knowledge gained from these analyses, a roadmap for intelligent blockchain technology for sustainable manufacturing is proposed. The conceptual evolution model presented herewith could be the key for the ultimate symbiotic phase in which material sources to end-users are linked by the internet of everything enabled by intelligent blockchain and human-cobot cohabitation.