Dave Savastano09.27.12
TAGSYS announced that it is heading a $US32 million (€25 million) 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.
SPINNAKER is led by TAGSYS, and includes eight research labs led by INP Grenoble LCIS, one research institution (INRIA) and four 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 three 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.”
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 three-year program.
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.”
SPINNAKER is led by TAGSYS, and includes eight research labs led by INP Grenoble LCIS, one research institution (INRIA) and four 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 three 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.”
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 three-year program.
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.”