New centre helps drive Scottish RFID

Wireless Innovation is leading a drive to help connect Scottish RFID developers with commercial opportunities in a bid to take an early share of the multi-billion-pound global RFID market.

Scotland's RFID systems developers are poised to reap an escalating number of cross-sectoral business opportunities as small- to medium-size enterprises (SMEs) become increasingly aware of the inevitable widespread adoption of this technology.

Wireless Innovation is leading a drive to help connect Scottish RFID developers with commercial opportunities in a bid to take an early share of the multi-billion-pound global RFID market.

The Scotland-wide resource provides business development support to businesses both developing and considering the benefits of implementing RFID systems, and is creating networks for specific solutions providers to interact with the key sectors they are targeting.

Ian Downie, Business Manager at Wireless Innovation, outlined the organisation's thinking at an RFID seminar hosted at Hillington Park Innovation Centre: "RFID will change the way people live and do business across the globe".

"This is not some far off future prediction".

"It is a currently evolving reality in the world of business, and one where Scotland's wealth of technical talent and expertise in this area can help deliver world class solutions".

"Many Scottish companies have heard the hype and have expressed concerns about how RFID will impact their businesses - given the mandates being laid down by suppliers and customers to adopt the technology".

"Scotland's RFID developer community is well placed to meet the specific needs of individual sectors and deliver proven and powerful solutions that work".

"Innovative new RFID applications are being developed here in Scotland which have the potential to generate sizeable revenues both from direct sales and also by providing the technology that 'makes systems work' to large technology companies".

"Crucially, there is already evidence of a strong working synergy between these business groups which will help Scotland to deliver competitively at a global level".

Advances in RFID are most evident in sectors where the tagging of products at source enables management of the supply chain including distribution centres, healthcare, food and retail, and airport freight.

Scottish companies (presenters at the RFID seminar), Glasgow-based Spartan Solutions and Aberdeen-based Arnlea Systems, are bringing cutting-edge RFID solutions to both a local and global client base.

Spartan Solutions although a relatively new company at 13 months, is already carving out a niche for its RFID solutions in the equipment supply sector and is currently piloting a project with a multinational company which will be rolled-out globally.

The firm also has important links into the academic sector with several innovative research projects with Scottish universities shortly to be announced.

Jim Green, Managing Director of Spartan Solutions commented: "The Internet era of people and computers is about to be joined by the internet of inanimate 'things'".

"At the individual level, who knows where it will lead".

"From a business perspective, RFID has enabled Spartan to increase asset utilisation and reduce the costs for companies who want to get better value from their capital investment".

"This realises our vision of being a local Scottish based RFID specialist operating internationally".

Arnlea Systems has been developing RFID and mobile information solutions for 11 years and was the first company in Scotland to commence projects and path-beat new achievements in this area.

The company recently delivered its 200th RFID-enabled project to Nautronix, a leading provider of wireless "through water" communications technology solutions to the defence, oil and gas, marine and ocean science industries.

"This is a fantastic achievement for a small company like Arnlea Systems and demonstrates the innovative talent and engineering expertise we have in Scotland", commented Kevin Boyd, Operations Manager for Arnlea Systems.

"As a result of this and other large deals in the pipeline, we have recently added to our team and expect to need further people by the end of the year".

Arnlea currently supports a global customer base exceeding 150 customers and distributors with their existing team across the power, food, aerospace, emergency services, pulp and paper, laundry, agriculture, transport, electronics and semiconductor industries.

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