(August 23, 2010) — IDTechEx released its latest report, "Printed & Chipless RFID Forecasts, Technologies & Players 2011-2021," covering the largest potential applications for printed and non-silicon RFID tags and the technology enabling low-cost, non-traditional RFID electronics. (See the broader RFID industry forecast at: IDTechEx releases RFID forecast publication)
RFID biggest opportunities
The biggest opportunity for RFID is the item-level tagging of all things. This ultimately calls for a very low-cost tag, something that some printed and chipless RFID technologies have already demonstrated or have the potential to achieve. Interestingly, few of the biggest chip RFID suppliers are working on these technologies. Instead, printers, packagers and electronics and materials companies are leading development, some seeing the ultra low cost RFID tag as just the beginning — with integrated ultra low cost components such as displays, sensors and power to come. (For information on the active RFID/sensor market forecasts, see: IDTechEx launches active RFID and sensor networks report
Ten year forecasts
RFID tags that do not contain a silicon chip are called chipless tags — some of which can be printed. The primary potential benefit of the most promising chipless tags is that eventually they could be printed directly on products and packaging for 0.1 cents and replace ten trillion barcodes yearly with something far more versatile and reliable. The next ten years will see a rapid gain in market share of mainstream printed and chipless RFID tags. The numbers sold globally will rise from 12 million in 2011 to 209 billion in 2021. By value, chipless versions will rise from less than $1.38 million in 2011 to $1.65 billion in 2021, about one fifth of all income from RFID tags in 2021 because most of the increase in penetration will be by price advantage. This report gives the penetration of printed and chipless RFID into many different market verticals over the next ten years. It gives assessment of the different technology options and profiles of the main companies developing these.
For the lowest cost technologies, we consider how the cost structure will probably not be on a per tag basis, where the value of the tags in hundreds of billions is only a few million dollars, but those involved will make money on licensing the technology, readers, data management etc.
The in-depth report covering printed and chipless RFID technologies and companies is available from IDTechEx, with Analysis of the technologies being implemented today, detailed case histories and company profiles of the many trials and sales successes of printed and chipless RFID, sales leads and opportunities, and an unbiased assessment of who will be the winners and losers in the shakeout and what the future will bring. This is the only report to cover the technologies, players, opportunities and challenges of what will become the most widely used RFID technology type. Detailed forecasts are given and global progress assessed. www.IDTechEx.com/prfid
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