Smart labels on the cusp

ABI Research industry analyst Tancred Taylor, explains: “Over the past 15 years, the printed electronics market for asset tracking has been driven by RFID. This will continue to remain a dominant technology. Still, the evolution of low-power IoT technologies from Bluetooth through to cellular and non-cellular LPWAN technologies is making possible the creation of RF labels with enhanced capabilities.

“The cost, simplicity, and enhanced features of these devices – including range, lifespan, and data throughput – will enable enterprises to address entirely new use cases which have previously not been possible.”

Bluetooth labels like Wiliot and Reelables have driven awareness around the emerging possibilities from printed IoT. These are already seeing substantial adoption volumes thanks to the technology's maturity using very low-power chip designs. In contrast, the market for WAN labels has been more complicated due to a higher engineering burden. The alignment of printable batteries, connectivity protocols, reel-to-reel printing, and device provisioning has proven a significant obstacle in the past three years.

While some impressive initiatives have been successful, particularly in China, it is only in the second half of 2022 that significant progress has been made on major LPWAN protocols.

Taylor continues: “Smart labels are already evolving in numerous directions from features and form-factor perspectives, which will entirely change how enterprises gather data on their assets, which will be the greatest driver of value. Initially, the use cases that present themselves most clearly are in the supply chain.”

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