Kering Eyewear has launched an inclusive data exchange platform to measure the overall impact of its value chain, in line with its environmental and sustainability goals.
The V.I.R.T.U.S. project, which stands for ‘verified, integrated, reliable, trustworthy, unique and secure’ is a data exchange platform built on blockchain technology. It enables transparent assessment and traceability across all operations in the company’s manufacturing processes.
The platform was launched following the three C’s of Kering Group’s sustainability pillars: Care for the planet, Collaborate for people and Create innovation.
The blockchain-based platform is a centralised ledger that allows all parties to participate in Kering Eyewear’s product-specific database without any intervention from intermediaries. All data uploaded follows each product’s path directly from its origins and looks at raw material provenance, processing components, final assembly and related certifications.
The V.I.R.T.U.S. project started in 2018 and leverages blockchain technology to efficiently measure and quantify the environmental impact of all parties and processes in Kering Eyewear’s value chain.
All Kering Eyewear’s partners will be called to directly record their activities on the digital platform, which will then verify whether each link in the supply chain adheres to its environmental, social and ethical goals. The project was initially launched with five partners and has evolved to include 16 global suppliers. It will be rolled out to include Kering Eyewear’s entire supply chain starting next year, including Certottica, the Italian Institute of Certification of Optical Products.
Kering Eyewear Global Head of Supply Chain Barbara Lissi commented, “V.I.R.T.U.S. is a complex and challenging journey through real innovation and sustainability. After a three-year launch phase, we are now able to start building a clear and transparent roadmap of our entire supply chain, achieving detailed analysis and knowledge about the provenance and characteristics of each composition and each manufacturing technique behind what we do.
“We believe that collecting and sharing truthful information, tracking down the source of the raw materials and components used, is the most consistent and respectful way to corroborate the quality of our products and their full compliance with our ethic and aesthetic standards.”
“Fostering innovation means adapting state-of-the-art technology to the philosophy of collaboration and sharing at the heart of our company”, added Kering Eyewear Global Head of IT & Planning Daniel Bellini. “Our blockchain-based method ensures the protection, security and authenticity of every transaction providing complete identifiability and traceability of our products and partners through verifiable and immutable data.
“This initiative not only represents a true revolution for the industry but also a profound and inevitable transformation of our progressive path towards increased efficiency and transparent communication”.