RFID technology providers, vendors and users have now the possibility to affect the conditions of competition for RFID technology and its further development in Europe and to reinforce the political environment of RFID at European level

RFID (radio frequency identification) has become a key ICT technology and Europe is going to play a major role in this high-tech area. In May 2006, European key players in RFID have started the initiative "Coordinating European Efforts for Promoting the European RFID Value Chain" (CE RFID). 

It is now the task to include additional contributors in the project in order to enlarge the network and to involve all relevant industrial stakeholders of the RFID community in Europe. Activities within this project will stimulate and strengthen the competitiveness of European RFID users and vendors and will proliferate the political attention regarding RFID. Leading European RFID technology suppliers and users such as Metro, Deutsche Post World Net, Philips, and Rafsec have initiated CE RFID and invite now other industrial stakeholders to join.

CE RFID will set up a sustainable network of RFID technology providers, vendors and users, and support the European Commission to increase political awareness and intensify activities for the enhancement of this new technology. The partners of CE RFID will elaborate a concise RFID technology roadmap for the public and will provide detailed recommendations for a purposive European research and legislation policy on RFID.

Additionally, CE RFID will - in close connection to organisations such as EPC and AIM - develop suggestions for an effective standardisation and harmonisation of RFID related frequencies and data formats in Europe.

The initiative deploys a number of industry-driven workshops covering applications as well as technology roadmaps for RFID, research challenges, data standards, frequency harmonisation, user guidelines, and legal aspects concerning RFID. A final conference "RFID in Europe - Technology for the Future" will present the results of the initiative to the public in spring 2008.

Moreover, CE RFID will contribute to the European Technology Platform on Smart Systems Integration - EPoSS which defines future R&D needs, innovation and policy requirements related to smart systems integration as well as to integrated micro- and nanosystems. CE RFID will help to let RFID become an integral part of future smart systems in Europe.

Current members of CE RFID are MGI Metro Group Information Technology GmbH, AIDA Centre Sociedad Limit, Deutsche Post World Net AG, EADS Deutschland GmbH, FEIG ELECTRONIC GmbH, Philips Austria GmbH Styria, RF-iT Solutions GmbH, Siemens AG, Tyco Fire & Security ADT, UPM Rafsec Oy, and VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH. CE RFID partners invite other RFID users and vendors from Europe to join their initiative and to work on a common European understanding of RFID.

CE RFID is funded by the European Commission.