The field of RFID is growing rapidly, with new applications seemingly almost limitless. RAIN (an acronym derived from RAdio frequency IdentificatioN) RFID is a wireless technology that connects billions of everyday items to the Internet, enabling businesses, retailers and consumers to connect. Aileen Ryan, the new president and CEO of RAIN Alliance, discusses the RAIN Alliance and the opportunities ahead for RAIN RFID.

Printed Electronics Now: What is the mission of the RAIN Alliance?

Aileen Ryan: The mission of the RAIN Alliance is to grow the adoption of RAIN RFID, and be a key enabler of the IoT. We aspire to radically increase the number of connected things to improve people’s lives and help provide a sustainable future for our planet by improving supply chains and keeping track of items from beginning to end. 

Printed Electronics Now: How has the RFID industry grown, say, in the past decade?

Aileen Ryan: Where RAIN RFID technology has been most deployed is in the area of inventory management, and that seems to be where the technology had an immediate return on investmentSince the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen that companies with good control of their inventory outperformed their competitors. People started working from home, shopping online and ordering deliveries of food in a way we hadn’t done previously. The application of RAIN technology has proved invaluable.

Printed Electronics Now: Along those lines, what are the key markets for RFID traditionally, and what areas are RFID heading into?

Aileen Ryan: We are seeing even broader development of applications. In a way, RAN RFID’s use is nascent in a number of new applications, such as the tire industry and automotive, and it’s very exciting. Healthcare is a growing market, and it’s making a very meaningful difference, as RAIN RFID makes sure patients move through their treatments, makes sure equipment is right place, ensures medicines are being given to patients on schedule and are going where they are supposed to go. It think from a human point of view, these are all very meaningful.

In addition, RAIN RFID is expanding from apparel and footwear and is now being used for sustainability, making sure products are being recycled. Another example is food, where RAIN RFID can make sure that food is used before expiration, which is important when you look at the enormous amount of food waste. There are lots of really neat use cases.

Printed Electronics Now: What have been the key drivers for this growth?

Aileen Ryan: Societal changes of course, is an important driver. The IoT has been talked about for the last decade, and we are probably there now. People want their environment to be more controlled, and they want their products delivered today. If you go to your pharmacist expecting the medicine to be there and it isn’t, that is dangerous. When we look at inventory management, that’s a cost control issue. There are also revenue opportunities, like building stronger relationships with your customers.

Printed Electronics Now: What are the challenges that need to be overcome for RFID to continue to expand?

Aileen Ryan: We recently commissioned a market research report by VDC Research that shows a huge projected increase for RAIN RFID of 25% CAGR. The VDC report shows that RAIN RFID uptake is projected to increase at a more than healthy rate in the next five years. Typically, it would be expected that the cost per piece will go down, but it has not followed that trend in recent years due to the chip shortage, which led to demand not being met. That situation is starting to right itself. Once unit economics start to right itself, the potential for new use cases will emerge. For example, we do see the concept of scanning the basket as you walk out of a store as a possibility.

Printed Electronics Now: What do you see as the future of RFID in the next decade, and what role will the RAIN Alliance play in that growth?

Aileen Ryan: The RAIN Alliance is made up of the technology providers who create the different pieces of the technical stack. My personal goal is to engage more strongly with end users about what the limiters and their requirements are. The combination of a RAIN tag and sensor opens up new doors. For example, for the tire market, the tag has to be embedded in the tires. A meeting of the minds is really the direction we see as most beneficial.