Industry Insights: Clinton Liu from Modular Clinton Global (MCG)

In the Industry Insights blogpost series, we sit down with each SASHA member to find out what drives them in their work and what challenges they face.

Here we speak to Clinton Liu, CEO and founder of Modular Clinton Global (MCG), a technology platform using blockchain, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things to create transparent and sustainable supply chains and accelerate green hydrogen production and its deployment in maritime.

When we talk about decarbonising shipping, we usually think about alternative fuels, innovative engines, and maybe even wind. But another key part of the puzzle is logistics, and this is where MCG steps in. Clinton Liu, CEO and founder of MCG, gives a breakdown of the company’s work: “We’re focused on integrating advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain, to create transparent and sustainable supply chain solutions,” he says. “We have an international presence and our team is passionate, together we aim to revolutionise various industries by enhancing efficiency, reducing carbon footprints and promoting sustainability.”

But what exactly is the role of these innovative technologies in decarbonisation? “AI and IoT both play a crucial role in providing real time data and insights,” Clinton says. “This enables more efficient and sustainable operations.” AI algorithms have a range of applications in this field, from optimising energy use and maintenance needs to improving decision-making processes. “On the other hand, you have the IoT devices which can monitor and control energy consumption, emissions and other critical parameters such as temperature and humidity.” As MCG sees it, together these technologies can help significantly reduce many industries’ carbon footprint and support the transition to a low carbon economy.

Green hydrogen and sustainable supply chains

MCG also takes a specific interest in green hydrogen with its ambitious HyPACT project. “The idea is to map the entire hydrogen supply chain between the UK and Australia, and assess lifecycle emissions and develop a robust emission certification framework.” This kind of transparency is crucial for understanding what green hydrogen’s climate impact could be beyond just the emissions associated with its production and combustion. Aviation and shipping cannot be truly decarbonised if the green hydrogen used has a carbon-intensive supply chain.

“The idea is that these efforts will help facilitate the deployment of new hydrogen production technologies,” Clinton explained, “and ensure that the production processes are environmentally friendly.” Providing this kind of transparency and certainty of green hydrogen’s true sustainability for customers, investors, and partners, across the supply chain will be crucial both for ensuring the sector’s green credentials and encouraging investment where it is desperately needed to reach aviation and shipping’s climate targets.

The main problem that MCG is tackling is the fact that the maritime shipping industry generally tends to be not very digitised. “This comes with a lot of problems with tracking,” Clinton said. “Not monitoring temperature for example, has meant in the past that a lot of vaccines expire by the time they reach the end purchaser.” This problem is hard to resolve without the strong monitoring that MCG would introduce. “Our solution using IoT and blockchain will record the relevant data and improve transparency to avoid these problems.”

Challenges to sustainable supply chains

What are the hurdles to implementing this crucial solution? “The first thing that comes to mind is the technological integration.” Clinton continues, “we're trying to ensure the seamless integration of AI, IoT and blockchain technologies across different stages of the supply chain, which comes with numerous integration challenges.” Data accuracy presents another barrier. “We need to find a way to collect and maintain accurate data for the full lifecycle assessment and the emission certification.”

Finally, collaboration comes with difficulties. “It's vital to coordinate efforts among various stakeholders, including consumers, producers, and regulators in order to ensure successful implementation,” bonds of collaboration that do not currently exist at the levels needed.

The importance of government policy

There are ways that policy can be employed to help overcome these challenges. “Governments could provide funding and incentives for research and development into clean technologies, specifically in green hydrogen where there’s a lack of investment.” Clinton goes on, “Furthermore, it could establish clear regulations and standards for emission certifications and life cycle assessments, which are lacking right now.” Governments could also facilitate collaborations between industry players, research institutions, and government agencies, the result of which would be to “drive innovation, implementation and cooperation in this area.”

Imagining a scenario where MCG came upon an unlimited budget, Clinton muses the possibilities. “We would definitely invest in R&D, in order to accelerate the development and deployment of advanced technologies, for transparent and sustainable supply chains.” Thinking in terms of operations scale, Clinton continues “we would expand our global operations to cover more regions and industries with large-scale projects and of course encourage the broader application of our solutions and their adaptation in different contexts.”

Once again, collaboration is the name of the game. “Crucially we would also enhance collaboration and build strong relationship with international partners to share knowledge, resources, and best practices. We believe that collaboration is key in order to succeed in driving global progress towards a sustainable future.” It’s for this reason that MCG joined the SASHA Coalition: “we wanted to collaborate with like-minded organisations dedicated to advancing the green hydrogen economy,” Clinton said. “SASHA provides an opportunity for accelerating the development and deployment of hydrogen technologies – our participation underscores our commitment to fostering a global hydrogen economy that is both sustainable and safe.”

Find out more about Modular Clinton Global here. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the wider SASHA Coalition.