RAIN Alliance Meeting: Key Findings

By Times 7, Sep 01, 2022

Thank you to the RAIN Alliance for a fantastic event in Helsinki in June. Our Managing Director Jos Kunnen, RF Engineer Ryan McCracken and Business Development Manager George Mitchell were all in attendance. Here are some key learnings they took away from the event.  

1. Demand for growth in RFID   
   There is demand for growth in RFID, but with supply delays, the RFID industry may see challenges in getting chips for tags and RFID readers. The RFID industry is not facing the chip shortage alone. A global shortage of microchips affects all kinds of electronics, from smartphones to electric toothbrushes, as well as the automotive, aircraft and gaming industries. The causes range from COVID-19-based factory shutdowns and poor supply chain planning. Add to that a series of factory fires, record-breaking consumer demands and, most recently, a war in Europe and skyrocketing energy prices. 
   
   We recommend getting in touch with your reader and tag manufacturers and working closely with them to get the RFID parts you need for your system before these delays get any worse.  

2. Labour shortages and increased demand for automation creates a large opportunity for fixed RFID infrastructure.  
   Typically, handheld readers to fixed reader solutions are split 80:20, but the demand for automation coupled with labour shortages is seeing an increase in demand for fixed RFID solutions. Key players will be looking to build and grab their section of this potential business.  

3. According to RAIN RFID Alliance, by the end of 2021, over 112 billion RAIN RFID tags will be deployed. 
   The explosion in demand for sensing and tracking solutions will see this number grow even faster. Industries are focussed on leveraging RFID to free their people from manually tracking items and moving them into more meaningful, productive, and valuable jobs. 

4. Sustainability is a growing RFID trend.  
   As the conference was centred around Sustainability, it is no surprise that the industry is adopting more and more sustainable systems and processes. RFID continues to contribute to sustainable healthcare and supply chain management practices. However, the actual making of an RFID product is also becoming more sustainable. 

We look forward to attending the next RAIN Alliance meeting in October in South Carolina! If you would like to speak to our team about any of the findings above, please get in touch with us.