On November 24, 2023, during the 5th Industry Development and Technology Cooperation Seminar 2023 sponsored by the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, the China Electronics Technology Standardization Institute (CESI) released the Blue Paper on Radio Frequency Identification Technology and Standardization (2023) (hereinafter referred to as the Blue Paper). Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is a crucial component of the perception layer of the Internet of things. It provides an essential technical support for advancing the digital transformation of the industry, and for enhancing the visualization and transparency of enterprise operations and management to improve efficiency. The Blue Paper is the outcome of collaboration among 26 Chinese organizations, including RFID-related enterprises, institutions and universities.

The Blue Book comprehensively introduces:

  • The current state of RFID related technologies;
  • Analysis of RFIDstandardization progress in 12 typical RFID application fields, such as logistics, traffic management, retail, manufacturing, and anti-counterfeiting traceability;
  • Lists of relevant international and domestic standard development organizations, the structure of the standard systems (for China’s RFID standard system,see Figure 1), and the lists of relevant standards; The domestic standards mainly consist of national standards, sector standards, and local standards. A total of 203 standards are listed. Among them, 13% standards (namely, 27 standards) are in the category for RFID’ s application in motor vehicles.
  • Suggestions for the next steps.

In recent years, driven by the rapid advancements in electronics, communications, information technology and manufacturing, coupled with a significant reduction in the cost of electronic tags, RFID technology has entered the stage of widespread commercial application. It is now extensively used in logistics, transportation, manufacturing, asset management, retail, medical, anti-counterfeiting, and other industries. Currently, China has established a comprehensive standard system in this field, and has formulated several key technical standards, effectively meeting the needs of the country’s industrial development. While different industries have formulated relevant application standards to guide the application and promotion of RFID technology in their respective domains, the continuous evolution of RFID technology and the expanding array of application scenarios necessitate ongoing standardization efforts. As a result, the demand for standardization will continue to grow.

For the next steps, the CESI lists 5 suggestions for the further standardization work:

  • Contributing to standardization work of ISO/IEC JTC1/SC31;
  • Advancing standard system based on technological evolution;
  • Promoting the implementation of self-developed standard and application;
  • Strengthening the research and development of standards for applications;
  • Constructing the platform for certification and testing to meet the needs generated from technological evolution and applications.

Figure 1. China’s RFID Standard System