Beontag has come a long away in the last 40 years, from its start in the label segment to today, as a leading technology solutions provider offering new services and technologies through RFID and IoT solutions.

Beontag CEO Ricardo Lobo observed that since its beginnings 40 years ago, Beontag has grown from its roots in label manufacturing to become one of the world’s leading providers of IoT solutions and graphic and label materials, shaping efficient and sustainable supply chains, transport systems, payment infrastructures, and communication networks.

“Today, Beontag is at the cutting edge of technological innovation across a wide range of sectors, driving industry-leading research and development to create powerful tools for customers in over 40 markets,” Lobo added.

The company debuted its new name and brand identity in 2021, and since then has accelerated development and expansion via diversification and acquisition, adding, among others, RFID leaders Confidex, Digital Tags Finland, Lab ID and Temera.

“Over the past three years, we have welcomed a number of other RFID specialists under the Beontag umbrella,” said Lobo. “The resulting geographical expansiveness and broad skillset of our 2,000-strong (and growing) team is one of our greatest assets. 2024 has been a year of global growth for Beontag, with investment in research and development, state-of-the-art equipment, and site expansion in Finland, Italy, Brazil, China, and a new Ohio site set to open officially later this year.

“With operations in more than 15 countries, we’re proud to enable businesses around the world to drive customer experience, operational excellence, and sustainability with RFID tools which make possible seamless communication between companies, products, and people,” he added.

Beontag and the RFID Market

Since entering the RFID sector in 2013 and beginning exports in 2018, Beontag has grown to become one of the largest RFID tag manufacturers worldwide, which fits well with the rest of the company’s businesses.

“This cross-pollination empowers us to create tailored solutions in a wide spectrum of sectors including apparel, retail, luxury, payments, transportation, smart cities, heavy industries, payments, and more,” Lobo noted. “We aim to continue diversifying our focus as new opportunities emerge to shape a world where sustainability, efficiency, and user experience can work in tandem with each other.”

Lobo added that diversification is one of Beontag’s greatest strengths.

“By creating a broad base of technological solutions, with a range of sector, region, or industry-level expertise, we operate with the benefit of seeing the distinct challenges experienced in different sectors, allowing us to pinpoint the connections between obstacles that otherwise could seem industry specific,” he noted.

Adding Confidex in 2022 was a major move in the RFID field for Beontag.

“Since our acquisition of the company in 2022, the provider has become a key part of the Beontag ecosystem, and we’re pleased that it will be fully operational under the Beontag name from July 2024,” said Lobo.

“Amid rising demand for RFID technology in 2022, Confidex’s talented team and diverse product range stood out to us – the company was already a trusted partner for mobility and logistics, as well as the world’s number one supplier of industrial-grade RFID applications, wireless IoT solutions, and transport ticketing,” Lobo added. “The team’s high standards of quality and innovation aligned with Beontag’s own ambitions, and by becoming integrated within the Beontag group, this focus on development and excellence in digital transformation chain has expanded to a global operational platform.”

Acquisition is a key tool in Beontag’s diversification and expansion strategy. Lobo noted that by bringing other specialists beneath the Beontag umbrella, Beontag gains understanding of new verticals, industries, and RFID applications, and welcome new members and skillsets to its growing team.

“As part of our European expansion, the RFID business unit of Digital Tags Finland (then Stora Enso), developer of plastic-reducing Eco RFID Tag technology, joined the Beontag team,” Lobo observed. “Our new center for excellence in Tampere combines the diverse resources and specialized expertise of Digital Tags Finland as well as the former Confidex team. The Tampere site now supports our role as a global business enabler in smart tag technologies, with a particular emphasis on sustainable and eco-friendly products.”

In 2022, Temera, a leading provider of IoT solutions dedicated to fashion, luxury and retail, also became part of the Beontag brand.

“Through diverse IoT tools underpinned by RFID and blockchain technologies, Temera is driving DPP (digital product passport) innovation and optimizing logistics and production processes, traceability, anti-counterfeiting, customer engagement and control of distribution channels,” Lobo said. “Lab-ID also became part of our group, strengthening our presence in the luxury retail, ticketing and industrial markets.”

By adding new RFID technologies to its portfolio, Beontag offers a wide range of benefits to customers at each stage of the value chain, from building transparent supply chains with real-time tracking and visibility of products, to improving inventory accuracy, enabling personalized customer experiences, streamlining payment processes, and safeguarding against counterfeiting after purchase.

“These technologies also align with customers’ increasing standards for ethical, climate-friendly products, particularly relevant as sustainability-focused Gen Z gain more influence and power as consumers,” Lobo noted.

Sustainability is a key point of emphasis for Beontag.

“Beontag is fully committed to sustainability, as evidenced in both our operations and products in recent years,” Lobo said. “We prioritize developing products using sustainable materials to aid in waste reduction, while diverting waste from landfill wherever possible. In 2023, we were proud to increase our sale of sustainable products, as well as using more ethically sourced materials. We recently published our 2023 ESG report, which outlines the progress we have made in driving sustainability, achieving a gender-balanced workforce, and ensuring women are fairly represented in senior and leadership positions.

“RFID’s tracking and traceability capabilities enable customers to better measure the sustainability credentials of any product, supply chain, or inventory,” he added. “We take this even further by incorporating plastic-free technology within RFID tags. By focusing on sustainable-led innovation, the RFID industry is spearheading traceability and transparency solutions which minimize carbon footprint and maximize customer experience.”

This has led Beontag to branch out into the US, with its new site in Dayton, OH opening later in 2024.

“For the RFID industry, the US market is the one with the biggest potential, and with our new American footprint, we are fully prepared to address these opportunities,” Lobo said. “Our new landmark site in Dayton, Ohio was announced in November 2023 and we have invested $60 million in the facility, including new, state-of-the-art equipment, high-speed capacity, more automated processes and controls, and a new site layout. The site will employ more than 200 people and is set to be fully operational later this year.”

RFID and the Future

The future is bright for RFID. Lobo said that RFID technology has been around for decades, but it is still on an upward trajectory as more industries recognise its ability to reshape the way we interact with the world around us.

“We see particular growth taking place in retail, automotive and payments,” he added. “In the automotive sector, the technology offers exciting possibilities for improved inventory management, tracking, and supply chain logistics. In retail, brands and business owners have embraced its potential to streamline processes and enhance customer experience.

“RFID technology’s role in revolutionizing payment systems is growing rapidly – already, it has created more seamless and efficient paths to purchase by enabling and expanding contactless payment utility and reducing transaction times,” Lobo continued. “Innovation and transformation are set to continue in the coming years, with RFID poised to play a key part.”

Lobo also noted that as companies worldwide face increasingly stringent sustainability-focused legislation, RFID will enable organizations to meet ESG goals and ensure their products and supply chains comply with regulations. With EU regulations mandating Digital Product Passports (DPPs) on the horizon, RFID technology can make a valuable contribution to a DPP’s effectiveness.

“RFID’s real-time tracking capabilities adds additional depth and transparency to DPP-provided data, enriching the customer experience and product storytelling while also driving efficiency.,” Lobo noted. “RFID-generated data will be invaluable as organizations increase their sustainability efforts, offering vital information which can be used to optimize product lifecycles, resource usage, and supply chain efficiency.

“As tags get smaller, more accurate and more cost-efficient, we believe adoption will accelerate,” Lobo said. “This will in turn empower us to create tailored, truly innovative solutions in countless sectors. We will continue diversifying our focus as new opportunities emerge to use IoT and smart-tag solutions to shape a world where sustainability, efficiency, and user experience go hand in hand. Whatever those opportunities may be, Beontag will be ready to push the market forward and develop effective solutions.”