Moderna and IBM announced today a plan to collaborate on technologies to improve COVID-19 vaccine supply chain and distribution.

The companies announced their intentions to explore technologies, including artificial intelligence, that can help support smarter COVID-19 vaccine management.

Central to the effort will be a pilot of open, standardized, technology-enabled vaccine distribution approaches aimed to improve supply chain visibility and foster near real-time tracking of vaccine administration.

The aim is to identify ways technology can be used to help accelerate secure, information sharing between governments, health care providers, life science organizations and individuals. Moderna and IBM say they're seeking to improve confidence in vaccine programs and increase rates of vaccination, thereby reducing community spread.