EEA Member Spotlight with Vikram Seth, Head of Blockchain and Web3 at Shell
As an EEA member, Shell is part of the EEA community of organizations working to advance Ethereum and drive industry adoption. In the Q&A below, EEA interviews Vikram Seth, Head of Blockchain and Web3 at Shell, about how the organization contributes to the Ethereum business ecosystem.
Please introduce your company and yourself. (e.g. Vikram)
My name is Vikram Seth. I have worked in the energy industry for over 12 years, holding commercial, finance and innovation roles across the energy value chain. My vision is to leverage emerging technologies for the global transition to a regenerative economy.
at Shell’s Blockchain and Web3 TeamWe are leading several initiatives exploring the application of these technologies to develop new business models to shape the future of the energy sector.
Shell is a group of global energy and petrochemical companies operating in more than 70 countries, serving more than 1 million commercial and industrial customers and approximately 32 million customers every day at 46,000 retail fuel stations.
Shell has been involved in the blockchain space since 2016 and is a founding member of the Energy Web Foundation. We see digital innovation as a key driver of the energy transition and are actively exploring a number of new digital technologies, including AI, digital twins, IoT, metaverse, and blockchain.
What first brought you to the EEA and why did you decide to become a member?
We believe that Ethereum and the EVM chain are the gateway to blockchain and Web3 for the business community. At the same time, there are many challenges to true business adoption and scaling of blockchain use cases. Education is a key challenge in bringing those unfamiliar with Web3 on board with the journey, and we are excited to see the EEA address this challenge with its growing network.
The EEA is also well-positioned to support the development of global standards, taxonomies and frameworks for industrial applications of blockchain technology. You need allies like the EEA to share best practices and successes and provide direction to help you navigate the business adoption curve.
What are you currently working on with Ethereum? How will end users benefit from your work?
One of Shell’s areas of focus is developing supply chain traceability solutions to bring trust and transparency to low-carbon energy products while accelerating the energy transition. These solutions are typically built on Ethereum or EVM compatible chains.
One example of this is our abelia It is a platform built on the Energy Web Chain. Avelia aims to bring together airlines, corporations, freight forwarders and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) suppliers into a trusted ecosystem to expand the use of SAF and help decarbonize the aviation industry. It clearly and transparently tracks the environmental characteristics of SAF delivered to the aviation fuel supply network.
Other recent major projects include: hawk, jointly developed and piloted operation with Wipro. Falcon is a platform for industrial supply chain management launched on the Polygon chain. Falcon eliminates the need for physical paper trails for heavy industrial equipment and makes data more accessible, auditable, and trustworthy using digital product passports.
How will the EEA strengthen your organization’s current efforts?
The EEA can support your journey in blockchain and Web3 by:
- There is growing awareness of the application of blockchain technology in the energy sector.
- Share best practices and key learnings.
- Develop industry standards specifically related to data privacy and security in public blockchains.
What EEA program are you most excited about?
Along with networking activities, we are most excited about the cross-chain interoperability and Ethereum Training Quality (Eth TQ) working groups.
Cross-chain interoperability is an area of particular interest in understanding how standards are being developed and how this may impact the technical standards we adopt.
We are excited to partner with Eth TQ Group to drive greater understanding, adoption and better quality solutions for the energy sector.
Learn more and connect with the EEA.
The EEA allows organizations to adopt and use Ethereum technology in their day-to-day business operations. We enable the Ethereum ecosystem to develop new business opportunities, drive industry adoption, and enable learning and collaboration. Join us and contribute to our work!
Learn more and contact us about EEA membership. (email protected).