iExec x European Union: Concluding the ONTOCHAIN initiative

The ONTOCHAIN project, funded by the European Commission, aims to explore how blockchain can create a more secure internet.

What is ONTOCHAIN?

Launched in 2020, ONTOCHAIN was a European initiative that aims to create an ecosystem for trusted, traceable & transparent ontological knowledge. For that purpose, ONTOCHAIN empowers innovators to develop blockchain-based knowledge management solutions, with funding, mentoring by reputed organizations, and access to existing infrastructure.

iExec has been a core partner of this initiative for the past 3 years, collaborating with a consortium of academic and industrial members. This prestigious list includes the Athens University of Economics, the University of Ljubljana and IntelliSemantic.

This initiative is focused on creating a multifaceted platform featuring a suite of new protocols, libraries, and tools. These innovations are designed to create applications in various domains, such as healthcare, public services, distributed logistics, marketplace, automotive and real estate.

The ONTOCHAIN ecosystem is based on Ethereum Virtual Machines (EVMs), and it has since expanded to other decentralized networks, including EOSIO, Solid, Tezos, KeeeX and Convex DLT.

This achievement is the result of the joint efforts of 44 research and innovation teams which were selected and funded during three open calls.

iExec’s role in ONTOCHAIN

iExec played a pivotal role, providing the selected sub-parties with expertise, mentoring, and tech infrastructure support for decentralized and trusted computing.

iExec serves as a key technology provider in the ONTOCHAIN project thanks to its unique expertise in Blockchain and decentralized computing. Particularly relevant to ONTOCHAIN has been iExec’s framework for building complex Decentralized Oracles. This allows developers to integrate real-world data into a blockchain with high trust levels.

Our participation in ONTOCHAIN has opened several opportunities. Here are just some of the milestone from the last couple of years:

• iExec’s active engagement in EU events, including conferences and hackathons, coupled with the success of ONTOCHAIN, has boosted our visibility and fostered new partnerships.
• In response to iExec’s popularity among the developer community, we launched a developer incentives program.
• The iExec Sidechain (bellecour) became the used as the main blockchain used by projects within ONTOCHAIN. iExec waw also able to benefit from valuable insight into the chain, leading to further optimization and enhancement.
• The integration of feedback from developers and innovators has led to massive improvements in the iExec platform.
• The iExec team has also established a robust support platform, which serves as a valuable resource for both ONTOCHAIN developers and those yet to come.
• 3 years ago, the integration of projects from the open calls marked the first external projects running on iExec.

The remarkable success of these initial projects and the growing use of our platform features have not only expanded the iExec network but also propelled the platform into a state of continuous innovation.

Closing Thoughts on the ONTOCHAIN Project

Throughout the three-year span of the ONTOCHAIN project, iExec, bolstered by the successes of third-party teams, has made significant advancements in various fields, ranging from mentorship to accelerating the development of the technology within the protocol itself.

The ONTOCHAIN project has provided deep insights into the influences that project collaborations can have on a company, particularly for iExec in its capacity as a technical partner. iExec is keen on extending these collaborations with other European projects to contribute more broadly to blockchain innovation and to benefit the whole ecosystem.