Keio University Global Research Institute and WingArc1st begin demonstration experiment. Verifying secure data distribution and data authenticity between companies and industries, with an eye on international security supply chains

WingArc1st Inc. begins verifying technologies to ensure data authenticity and reliability with the Keio University Global Research Institute (KGRI). This is a cross-border and cross-jurisdictional attempt to distribute data safely and reliably across corporate and industry boundaries. We will begin an advanced demonstration experiment on 27 October, toward international mutual recognition and operation of digital trust infrastructures.

■ Background
In recent years, in industrial fields such as manufacturing, logistics, and energy, the movement to link and utilize data across the entire supply chain, including security, is spreading beyond data utilization by individual companies. However, currently, standard document exchange between international companies is still conducted on a paper basis, and every time it crosses national or corporate borders, information confirmation, transcription, approval, and certification are repeated, which is inefficient. To accelerate cross-border business and exchange detailed data between companies, seamless data linkage through digitalization is essential.

In the future, the volume of data exchanged between companies will become even larger, and its processing will be based on the use of AI rather than manual labor. For AI to process this data instantly and automatically, a mechanism is essential that can prove the data is correct--in other words, that the issuer is clear, that it can prove when it was generated, and that it can prove it has not been tampered with.

For different countries, companies, and organizations to use AI and share data safely, a mechanism is required to securely connect the digital trust infrastructures of each country. Through this initiative, both parties will jointly develop and verify a foundation that enables secure data distribution between international companies, using WingArc's Trustee eSeal and timestamps as the digital trust infrastructure. With this, we aim to build an environment where companies across borders can provide and use data with peace of mind, and further accelerate global business through AI-driven automation.

■ Overview of the demonstration experiment
In this initiative, we will conduct technical verification to ensure the reliability of electronic data distributed between companies and examine the requirements and implementation methods necessary for building a digital trust infrastructure. In the demonstration experiment, we plan to proceed with verification mainly from the following perspectives:　

1. Verification of mechanisms to confirm the authenticity of electronic data	We will examine mechanisms that can verify the creator and provider of data shared between companies and verify that the electronic data has not been tampered with.
2. Verification of the application of digital trust technology to electronic data	We will verify the technical effectiveness and operational challenges of ensuring the reliability of electronic data by utilizing digital trust technologies such as electronic signatures, timestamps, and eSeal.
3. Verification of applicability to inter-company data linkage	Assuming the secure distribution of electronic data between different companies and organizations by linking national digital trust infrastructures and digital trust infrastructures between countries, we will organize the connection with existing data linkage infrastructures and technical requirements.

■ WingArc's role and provided technology in the demonstration experiment
WingArc provides products and services that support corporate document management and electronic data utilization, and is advancing initiatives in the digital trust field to ensure the reliability of electronic data. Trustee, provided by WingArc, is a digital trust service for verifying the existence time, issuer, and presence of tampering of electronic data. In this demonstration experiment, we will leverage such technologies and expertise in the digital trust field to engage in technical verification to ensure the authenticity of electronic data. This initiative will be promoted together with Cybertrust Japan Co., Ltd., which provides digital trust services. (*2)

■ Future Outlook
WingArc aims to provide a mechanism that enables international interoperability as a protocol between companies, centered on a digital document platform. In a global business environment, ensuring the reliability of electronic data while distributing it securely and processing it rapidly using AI is directly linked to future corporate competitiveness. We will continue to support global standards and seamlessly connect domestic and international digital trust infrastructures, thereby supporting the creation of new value in a data-driven society and contributing to the further development of Japanese companies.

■ Keio University Global Research Institute
Keio University Global Research Institute (KGRI) is a university-wide research organization established in November 2016 that transcends the boundaries of faculties and graduate schools. It promotes interdisciplinary and international collaborative research that transcends academic fields, countries, and regions, and disseminates its results both domestically and internationally. Through more than 40 research centers and projects, it conducts a wide range of research, from basic research to research aimed at solving global social issues. Since 2022, we have also been promoting the role of strengthening the research capabilities of the entire university for Keio University's vision of becoming a research university that creates the common sense of the future. In fiscal year 2024, we established four units through the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's J-PEAKS program, and are working on developing research support systems and improving research capabilities.
https://www.kgri.keio.ac.jp/about/index.html (Japanese)

*1 DFFT (Data Free Flow with Trust) is a concept that aims to promote internationally free data circulation, where data useful for business and solving social issues can flow freely across borders without being conscious of them, while ensuring trust regarding privacy, security, and intellectual property rights. DFFT was proposed by former Prime Minister Abe at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting (Davos Agenda) held in Geneva, Switzerland, in January 2019, and received support from world leaders at the G20 Osaka Summit in June 2019, where it was incorporated into the Leaders' Declaration. (Source: Digital Agency)

*2 WingArc1st and Cybertrust collaborate to build a digital trust infrastructure for the AI era
https://corp.wingarc.com/en/public/202603/news2961.html