- TWIN, built on IOTA, is now live in UK border pilots through a partnership with Teesside University.
- Digital trade tools could save traders £1.2 billion yearly, cut processing times 75%, and share data 20 hours earlier.
The IOTA-based TWIN tool has shifted into live use across United Kingdom border pilots, through a partnership between the IOTA Foundation and Teesside University, according to a joint press release on February 4th. Work with government trade authorities sits inside a wider digital border program that aims to turn paper-heavy trade routines into digital records.
UK Trade Strategy 2025 estimates that digital trade documentation can save UK traders up to £1.2 billion each year, cut processing times by up to 75%, and reduce manual errors and compliance costs. A study in 2024 from the London School of Economics predicted a 1.3% lift in UK GDP from trade digitalisation.
Current freight practice often sends data and documents late in the movement of a consignment, leaving very little time for correction before goods reach ports. Resolution frequently relies on long email chains and repeated phone calls, so consignments are held at borders while information is checked or resubmitted.
Earlier Data, Cleaner Trade Flows
Pilot work showed that delays at borders often stem from avoidable mistakes. Open source digital tools cut or remove paperwork, expose errors much earlier, and lower costs, while still guarding information and improving transparency for all parties along supply chains. One outcome showed critical supply chain data reaching authorities up to 20 hours sooner than before.
Trials combine the UK Government’s open source Information Sharing Network with a new digital supply chain tool created by IOTA under the TWIN Foundation. The TWIN platform supports trusted, permission-based sharing of trade data across borders and is built to link into existing government systems rather than replace them.
“There is a clear need to radically improve how trade processes work today,” said Dominik Schiener, Co-founder and Chair of the IOTA Foundation.
“The pilots we’ve delivered with the UK Government show how open, interoperable digital infrastructure can provide earlier access to high-quality data.”
TWIN Raises Data Quality For Border Agencies
A central finding from pilots concerned both the timing and the quality of data seen by border authorities. Advance information already exists in many cases, yet often arrives incomplete or too generic for sound risk checks. A consignment of chicken, for example, might simply be labelled as meat with no clear detail on origin or type.
Use of the TWIN tool allows authorities to obtain more detailed and trusted information earlier in the supply chain. Errors can then be found and corrected before arrival at ports, leading to fewer avoidable stops for compliant consignments and smoother passage for legitimate trade through health and customs controls.
Port Health Authorities and other services gain a clearer view of consignments that warrant closer attention. Resources can be directed toward illegitimate or non-compliant shipments, while lawful goods face fewer disruptions, giving traders more predictable timelines and cost patterns across border crossings.
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