One of the most important challenges that RFID manufacturers have to overcome is developing products that combine performance at the right price point. Passive tags offer lower price points, but the read range is too limited for many applications. On the other hand, active RFID tags offer excellent performance, but the price is prohibitive for many markets. The goal of creating an RFID tag that offers excellent performance at a price the market will support has long been a critical goal. With the growth of battery-assisted passive (BAP) RFID tags for the consumer, life sciences and industrial markets, this potentially lucrative field may be within reach. UPM Raflatac and Blue Spark Technologies believe they have developed a solution with their new collaboration for the emerging BAP RFID market. Utilizing a new EPC Gen2 BAP RFID chip developed by EM Microelectronic and batteries developed by Blue Spark Technologies, UPM Raflatac has been a