Blockchain Research Institute expanding to Africa, the Middle East and Korea

The Blockchain Research Institute (BRI) has revealed plans to expand into several continents mid-year through partnerships with several banks, foundations, and organizations.

The independent global think-tank for distributed ledger research already operates in Europe and Brazil, and will establish hubs of innovation and research in new regional centers. The goal is to educate and strategize how blockchain and other emerging technologies can be implemented across business, government, and society.

The Blockchain Research Institute is opening up an African branch in collaboration with Standard Bank Group, a financial institution that offers banking and financial services to individuals, institutions, and corporations in Africa, according to a May 18 announcement. It will operate out of South Africa, with purview over all African countries aside from Egypt and Libya which will come under the Middle East division.

BRI Middle East operating out of Qatar will be launched in partnership with Konnect & Co., a procurement, sourcing, supply, and application chain management company established in Beirut, Lebanon. It will encompass much of the region including Syria, Lebanon, the West ank and Gaza, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Turkey, Egypt, and Libya.

Over in East Asia, its Korean division will be launched in collaboration with the BOSAGORA Foundation, a blockchain platform that aims to solve governance issues arising in decentralized organizations.

Don Tapscott, co-founder and Executive Chairman of the BRI, expressed confidence about an economic and technological expansion after the Covid pandemic.

“The world is poised for a post-pandemic, economic expansion and technological renaissance and industrial disruption. Now is the time for us to help companies and governments around the world navigate the turbulent waters ahead,”

BRI Director of Communications Noah Lehman told Cointelegraph that these new BRI global partners are funded by a syndicated membership model in which fees fund the program and research. Members include everyone from Deloitte and the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance to FedEx and Fidelity.

He added that membership includes research production, online courses, round-tables, webinars, and events gathering local stakeholders to promote blockchain innovation and adoption.

The three new BRI divisions will be working across their respective regions and in multiple countries (Africa and the Middle East) to gather stakeholders in business and government for the membership program. He added that they are expected to launch in July 2021.