Blockchain and digital ledger technology are crucial to creating more secure digital spaces.
In the fourth episode of the Blockchain in Scotland series, our guest is Bill Buchanan, professor of cryptography at Edinburgh Napier University. He is also a member of Scotland’s Blockchain and Digital Trust Taskforce, and the director of the Scottish Centre of Excellence in Digital Trust and DLT.
Listen to the episode below:
Buchanan explains that the first successful spin-out from the university, ZoneFox in 2008, catalysed an innovation lab that would become the incubator for many others.
“Through that success, we set up the Blockpass Identity Lab in 2018, and that was initially funded by an amazing company called Blockpass IDN. They invested quite a bit of money in PhD studentships, researchers, and really created the whole lab environment. Its core focus initially was on digital identity. It’s since advanced its research focus into post quantum cryptography, homomorphic encryption, zero knowledge proofs and so on.”
As a testament to the commercial viability of the spin-outs, Buchanan pointed out that two of the four startups were acquired by larger companies – Zone Fox by Fortinet in 2018, and Symphonic Software by Ping Identity in 2020.
When asked about the support available to blockchain businesses in Scotland, Buchanan highlighted the assistance of FinTech Scotland, as well as the wider Scottish financial services sector, an industry he said can nurture future cybersecurity innovation.
This episode explores how cutting-edge cryptography is being transformed into real-world solutions, with substantial support available for blockchain businesses in Scotland.
Listen to the episode below:
This is a GlobalData podcast brought to you by Scottish Enterprise.
