Supply Trace, a pilot established jointly by Sheffield Hallam University and Northeastern University, is using machine learning to develop a free-to-access, searchable online platform that enables anyone to explore tens of millions of shipping records – with the goal of democratising supply chain data and exposing forced labour risk.
The initial phase is focused on apparel exports from the Xinjiang region of China – and the associated risk of forced labour – to the United States.
Scaling up Supply Trace’s remit is already under way, with geographical expansion twinned with adding new industries to the database.
In this video, Dr Shawn Bhimani talks to Ecotextile Views to share the project’s goals as well as his personal vision of a new dawn for supply chain transparency and accountability.
