Honda shares CANDEE platform with Mahidol University to encourage ‘good deeds’
Honda has taken the first step towards blockchain integration by sharing its own platform, "CANDEE", with Mahidol University, supported by Bitkub, so that employees from both organisations can record good deeds and healthy living and turn them into a token as a reward.
Pitak Pruittisarikorn, chairman of the board of Honda Automobile (Thailand), stated that the concept of the CANDEE application stems from the time banking method, in which people record their time spent doing good deeds for others and society before exchanging for rewards. The more time they spend doing good, the more rewards they may receive, which may include not only money but also a voucher, bonus, or discount coupon.
Since Honda recognises that blockchain technology will become mainstream technology in the digital era because it can respond to a variety of lifestyle needs, the company is interested in using blockchain technology to familiarise their employees with the system, preparing them for the digital economy.
With the aim of assisting people in doing good and encouraging the use of blockchain technology within the company, the CANDEE application was developed and implemented over three years ago after Honda had discussed it with young associates from various departments.
The "CAN" stands for “ability", and the "DEE" stands for "doing good”, reflecting how the application encourages people to do good and live healthily, and in turn receive digital tokens for participating in CSR and health-related activities within an organisation, Pitak said.
As a Honda young-generation project, this movement is part of Blockchain Innovative Technology (BIT). The application was created in collaboration with Bitkub, a blockchain expert, to provide the advice and technology services needed to develop CANDEE's functionality to make it user-friendly, as well as cater to changes in lifestyles in the Covid-19 era.
Due to its great success and good response, Pitak considered expanding the use of the application to a larger community to create positive changes and to encourage users to spend their spare time productively while becoming acquainted with blockchain technology.
This concept prompted Honda and Bitkup to sign a MoU for the CANDEE application with the Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, on Thursday at Bitkub M social, The EmQuartier.
Dr Chartchalerm Isarankura na Ayudhya, dean of the Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, said the institution has been developing the idea of applying technology to health-led awareness since 2016, which corresponds to the guidelines of the CANDEE application. After talking with Honda, the faculty decided to play a part in expanding the community of people doing good and living healthily.
"The cooperation with Honda and Bitkub is a good opportunity for our three organisations to leverage knowledge, expertise and experience to build an ecosystem that contributes to Thai people's well-being by linking and expanding development that results in the application to promote good health," said Chartchalerm.
He added that they can take advantage of Candee application features like using blockchain technology to handle various transactions through tokens to collect points and redeem them for rewards to increase active participation within an organisation, It also helps expand the scope of work on Bitkub's network of advanced platforms.
Passakorn Pannok, chief executive officer of Bitkub Blockchain Technology, which is one of Thailand's leading blockchain companies, stated that collaborating with Honda is another milestone in finding business partners. The CANDEE application is intended to provide useful functionality. Initially, Honda associates were encouraged to participate by making social contributions in exchange for digital tokens.
"I personally believe that we can drive the application's widespread availability. By creating new roles, the advanced technology supported by the Bitkub chain will assist us in promoting the seamless use of CANDEE. This results in increased CANDEE efficiency, whether through the use of blockchain technology to collect and save data or by broadening the use of Candee tokens and developing new use cases, all of which will benefit the Bitkub chain ecosystem," Passakorn said.
The collaboration of partners from various sectors, such as Honda, Bitkub, and the Faculty of Medical Technology at Mahidol University, will mark a watershed moment in the success of the CANDEE application. It will strengthen the CANDEE ecosystem and support its goal of widely encouraging society to do good and live healthily in a limitless yet non-profit form to effect positive change, Pitak said.
