TAGSYS Heads Up Largest Collaborative RFID R&D Initiative with Multi-Million Dollar SPINNAKER Program

Industry experts collaborate to drive next-generation interconnected systems for retail, healthcare

MARSEILLE, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TAGSYS, the leading provider of item-level inventory management systems that streamline the supply chain, today announced that it is heading a $US32 million (25 million Euros) groundbreaking global collaborative RFID R&D program. Called SPINNAKER, the initiative aims to transform the current state of the art in RFID-based systems and enable more widespread adoption of the technology, particularly in retail and healthcare sectors. The program will address challenges and opportunities to improve the performance and real-time interconnectivity of wireless-sensing systems throughout the supply chain, from manufacturing, distribution, and retail through to the end customer experience.

“TAGSYS considers this project as a historical milestone in the evolution of the RFID industry”

SPINNAKER is led by TAGSYS and includes 8 research labs led by INP Grenoble LCIS, one research institution (INRIA) and 4 industrial entities, each an expert in its own domain. The project value includes financial aid from OSEO, a French public entity whose mission is to finance the best, most promising innovation initiatives. The project period is 3 years, culminating with a solution ready for pilot implementation.

The project scope is to research and design non-intrusive, flexible, and robust item-level systems that can integrate with other protocols, application software and business processes to provide a more efficient wireless sensing network infrastructure. With TAGSYS as a leader, the participating entities will focus on specific approaches that bridge the gaps in the supply chain, particularly between brands’ manufacturing operations and retailers.

"TAGSYS considers this project as a historical milestone in the evolution of the RFID industry," said Alain Fanet, TAGSYS CEO. “The combined experience and expertise of the organizations involved will bring a unique collaborative focus that will help remove technology barriers which have stood in the way of more widespread adoption of RFID-based systems. TAGSYS expects that the work done as part of the program will significantly advance the state of the art in this area, and will help the overall industry to deliver a next generation of innovative and cost effective systems.”

A globally inclusive effort

The SPINNAKER project will include an industry Advisory Council, drawn from a worldwide network of RFID end users in various industries who wish to participate in the 3-year program. Complete details of the Advisory Council will be announced in the fourth quarter of 2012. Interested parties should contact the initiative’s organizers to learn more about participating.

The project will also work with relevant standards bodies and programs, such as the GS1 US/VICS industry standards efforts, to ensure technical and business interoperability within the supply chain. This would include how to structure the upper system levels of an RFID-system for optimal interoperability.

“SPINNAKER also welcomes and plans on working with other renowned RFID research projects, such as the University of Arkansas’ RFID Research Center, to further enhance global collaboration and identify synergistic areas to work together.” Fanet added. “The challenges and opportunities to improve RFID systems are global in nature and SPINNAKER intends to take an inclusive approach, with involvement from companies and organizations worldwide”.

About SPINNAKER

The following universities and research institutions are involved in the SPINNAKER program: CMP-EMSE (Centre Microélectronique de Provence - Ecole des Mines de Saint Etienne); CNRS (Centre National de Recherche Scientifique); Ecole Supérieure d’Electronique de l’Ouest (ESEO, Radio-Frequency and Microwave Research Group); Université de Rennes 1 - (IETR-Institut d’Electronique et des Télécommunications de Rennes- UMR CNRS 6164); INRIA (Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique); Laboratoire d'Acoustique de l'Université du Maine - UMR CNRS 6613 (LAUM); INP Grenoble (Laboratoire de Conception et d’Intégration des Systèmes); Université Pierre et Marie Curie – Paris 6 (Laboratoire d’Informatique de Paris 6) - CNRS; Université François Rabelais de Tours; Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée.

The following commercial entities are involved in the SPINNAKER project:

TAGSYS RFID; Inside Secure; Legrand; STIC.

More information on SPINNAKER can be found at www.spinnaker-rfid.com.

About TAGSYS

TAGSYS RFID is transforming the way to connect, communicate and interact with goods. We provide item-level inventory management systems that streamline the supply chain. This enables companies to control pricing strategies, increase sales and improve customer satisfaction. For more than 15 years, TAGSYS has established a proven track record in deploying RFID systems in demanding environments. We have implemented RFID-based systems to more than 500 customers in 40 countries. TAGSYS leads the industry with the largest R&D investment to expand the potential of RFID. More information on TAGSYS can be found at www.tagsysrfid.com.