Enabling Smart Customs to facilitate and secure global supply chains through the use of disruptive technologies.
Objectives of the Project:
- Identify Members’ needs and status of technological adoption;
- Share knowledge on technologies and innovative solutions applied to Customs;
- Better understand the technologies available for Customs;
- Investigate the challenges related to appropriation of technologies.
The Smart Customs project, funded by the Customs Cooperation Fund of China (CCF-China), aims to expand on the WCO/WTO Study Report on Disruptive Technologies (June 2022) by providing comprehensive information on the utilization of selected disruptive technologies in Customs, including blockchain, artificial intelligence and machine learning, the Internet of Things, drones/robots, biometrics, virtual, augmented, and mixed reality.
The technologies in focus will be identified through regional consultations with Members and a survey aimed at assessing Members' needs and technological adoption status.
Key aspects of technology implementation, such as business processes, legal requirements, policy arrangements, technical specifications, costs, and trends, will be addressed and included in the Study Report.
The project will have a global scope and cover both emerging technologies and the innovative application of existing ones in Customs.
Complementing the technical focus of the project, the research component will explore challenges related to the innovation and adoption of technologies by Customs, providing insights from other perspectives such as the strategic, sociological, and cultural perspectives.
The project will facilitate exchange of experiences through regional, global events and national case study missions, and will develop detailed reports, research, and a community portal.