Dutch tech companies are joining forces to provide additional support to their nation’s government, hospitals, and relief workers in the fight against Covid-19. This includes tracking supply and demand utilising blockchain technology.
The ”Tech against Corona” Initiative of Dutch tech companies offers free support in the fight against the corona virus (COVID-19). To this end, an online meeting took place on Wednesday 25 March between various tech companies, civil servants and MPs. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss how these companies can contribute to the fight against the corona virus through their services and products.
The starting point here is that governments, aid workers, care providers and hospitals can make free use of the knowledge, skills and algorithms of these companies, and this has already started. For example, Cybersprint recently investigated fake RIVM websites and COVID-19 malware attacks against hospitals, together with Huib Modderkolk (investigative journalist), and offered to protect these hospitals. In addition, Compumatica will improve the internet connections of home workers with critical professions.
European tech innovator and enterprise blockchain solutions provider TYMLEZ have announced that they will model the medical goods ecosystem through a platform that matches supply & demand. This system will be underpinned by their blockchain platform, to ensure full transparency and security of the data.
Traxion can help with the rapid addition of large and varying amounts of volunteers to online systems, and KPN and Microsoft are thinking about connecting new technologies to existing systems.
As part of the effort of the Dutch Ministry of Defense, the Royal Dutch Army is already fully engaged in providing crisis support in the form of planners, medical workers and specialist equipment (including respiratory equipment). The planners are deployed at both national and regional level. Behind the scenes, there is even more capacity in many forms to be deployed on instructions from administrative and medical authorities, says Colonel van Dalen. The Ministry of Defense plays an important supporting role in the fight against Corona and collaborates extensively with the business community in other areas as well.
The ”Tech against Corona” Initiative already involves more than 10 companies and is an initiative of Public Matters, a public affairs and lobby consultancy. Following a similar idea in the United Kingdom, the goal is to make as many concrete and feasible agreements between governments and tech companies as possible.
DUTCH RED CROSS ACCEPTING BITCOIN PHILANTHROPY
The Dutch’s progressive approach to fighting world crises like the Covid-19 Pandemic was further highlighted when the Red Cross of The Netherlands confirmed that they would be accepting donations in Bitcoin with a message on their website. This was after the Dutch relief company saw the work being done by the Italian Red Cross, who raised almost $20,000 in Bitcoin which went toward purchasing medical supplies in their stricken country’s fight against the virus.
Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
