The RFID Roadmap: The Next Steps for Europe

herausgegeben von: Gerd Wolfram, Birgit Gampl, Peter Gabriel

Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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Über dieses Buch

RFID is a key technology for Europe. Today there is a noticeable shift away from the days of RFID pilot projects, and towards a time where organisations are looking to RFID to drive efficiency and innovation. Although Europe is a leading player in the world of RFID technology, several challenges which are preventing RFID from reaching its full potential need to be addressed.

To further the advancement of this technology, coordinated European efforts need to be promoted, specifically in the areas of standardisation, user guidelines, legislation, technology development, and research and development. These themes have been analysed, and clear recommendations have been derived, stating what the different RFID stakeholders can do to support the technology. This book is aimed at decision makers in all fields of society, e.g. in companies, politics, business associations, etc.

The publication is a summary of the results of the coordination action CE RFID - "Coordinating European Efforts in the RFID Value Chain" - and is a network of European RFID technology providers, vendors and end users. It aims at promoting the use of RFID technology and supporting further development. The project was funded by the European Commission under the 6th Framework Programme.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

1. Introduction

Abstract

The auto identification technology RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) was first developed in the 1940’s, when it was used to distinguish between friend and foe aircraft in the Second World War. Afterwards, it became a civilian technology introduced in niche applications such as animal tracking or car toll systems. In the late 1990’s advancements in technology, such as the miniaturisation of integrated circuits and the etching of antennas onto flexible substrates (i.e. plastics) opened up a great number of new application fields; from contactless smart cards to electronic tickets, and even sensor tags which can monitor the temperature of fresh foods or medication, therefore allowing quality control.

Birgit Gampl, Peter Gabriel, Gerd Wolfram

2. Framework for the Classification of RFID Applications and Stakeholders

Abstract

As discussed in the previous chapter, technology growth can be influenced by many different factors which have a lot of interdependencies. Besides the main topics that will be analysed in this book, there are two more themes which influence the diffusion of the technology and which will be discussed throughout the whole book. The first theme is the technology itself. A vast variety of RFID applications exist, which makes it difficult to predict the development of RFID Technology in general. The second theme presents a societal point of view; different people who interact with the technology will have an influence on its overall success. These people are named as stakeholders throughout this book. In order to incorporate these two topics, two models were created. One aims at structuring RFID applications (the RFID Reference Model), and the second aims at structuring stakeholders (the RFID Stakeholder Model).

Birgit Gampl, Gerd Wolfram

3. Standards

Abstract

Standardisation is a process of developing and agreeing upon technical standards and making them a vital instrument for new technologies to avoid an uncontrolled growth of research results. Standards regarding RFID concern frequencies, communication, data, networks, safety and applications, and need to be internationally coordinated. One main challenge which organisations encounter with RFID implementations is the lack of industry-wide standards (Goel 2007). Therefore the following survey of RFID standardisation processes also includes recommendations for future activities.

Eldor Walk, Alexander Gauby, Frank Neubauer

4. Implementation and Application Guidelines

Abstract

Although RFID is no longer a new technology, and a basic framework concerning standards has been established, its implementation and widespread use are still in their early stages. It is therefore necessary to provide guidance on technology implementation to companies or pubic entities who wish to use RFID in their business processes. The development of guidelines is no easy task as numerous information demands have to be met. As RFID implementation is currently progressing at a moderate speed, it seems feasible to pose the question whether the guidelines developed so far really serve their purpose in facilitating RFID deployment.

Birgit Gampl, Sebastian Lange, Chris Hankinson

5. Regulatory Framework

Abstract

Standards and information for potential users are not the only prerequisites for technological growth. It is also important that the legislative framework is reliable and supports the development of a new technology. In this chapter we analyse, from a legal point of view, issues which affect RFID. These issues relate notably to privacy and security, the impact on health and environment, Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) and RFID governance. Recommendations for regulatory actions are drawn for each topic.

Véronique Corduant, Camino Mortera-Martinez, Sebastian Lange, Andreas Kruse

6. Technological Research Needs

Abstract

At a first glance there seems to be a contradiction between the hundreds of millions of already deployed RFID tags in car keys, contactless smart cards and library books (Harrop and Das 2006), and the increasing variety of industrial and academic R&D laboratories and projects working on RFID topics (see Wiebking et al. 2008 for an overview on international R&D activities). Yet, a closer look at the various application fields stated in Chap. 3 reveals the reason for the always increasing demand for further research and development activities. RFID is an umbrella term for many individual Auto-ID technologies with significantly different parameters and properties depending on the concrete application, as some examples may show.

Gerhard Metz, Peter Gabriel

7. R&D Environment

Abstract

RFID is a key technology in the fields of ICT for the European industry. Although no longer an emerging technology, the breadth of its potential application and the number of open issues on their way to full implementation and market acceptance still require substantial R&D support in many domains. A European research policy is an important enabler to realise the full potential of RFID.

When setting up a research policy, a decision about the “what” and the “how” is essential i.e. which topics should be supported and what the support should look like. In addition to the content of technological and societal research, and the creation of tools, measures and infrastructure to implement, another important issue is having the means to transfer research findings into economic benefits for the widest possible selection of stakeholders, e.g. companies, customers, consumers, governments etc.

There is a general impression amongst the players in the RFID value chain that programmes and measures to support RFID are few and not always aiming in a supportive direction. Therefore, in this chapter we assess the current RFID R&D policy in Europe via its present implementation, the European and national RFID R&D programmes, and compare this current status with the requirements as perceived by the providers and users of this technology, and make recommendations as to the content and the way of implementation of an optimised European RFID R&D policy.

Klaus Pavlik

8. Conclusion: The Next Steps for Europe

Abstract

RFID is a major opportunity for Europe. It provides societal benefits in many applications in areas such as health care, food safety and environmental monitoring. Users from the private and the public sector may use this technology to improve their efficiency and to provide new products and services based on RFID. For technology suppliers and system integrators, RFID offers the opportunity to participate in a new and growing high-tech segment of the ICT market. However, a closer inspection shows that for most applications RFID is still in its initial phase of technology adoption. In order to enter the second phase of broad technology adoption, several challenges must be met.

This chapter summarises the results of this book – and of the European coordination action project CE RFID – on these challenges. The recommendations for further action reflect the point of view of two important stakeholder groups: RFID users and technology suppliers. They aim to further extend the European position as innovative key player in the field of RFID technology.

We will first present the findings according to the fields of activities discussed in this book: standards, implementation and application guidelines, regulative framework, technology research needs and R&D environment. Secondly, the recommendations are regrouped with respect to the various stakeholders groups which are most often concerned with more than one field.

Birgit Gampl, Gerd Wolfram

Backmatter

Titel: The RFID Roadmap: The Next Steps for Europe
herausgegeben von: Gerd Wolfram
Birgit Gampl
Peter Gabriel
Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Electronic ISBN: 978-3-540-71019-6
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-71018-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-71019-6