Towards the “Internet of Things”

European conference
entitled “RFID: Towards the Internet of Things” organised by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology in Berlin on 25th and 26th of June 2007. Radio frequency identification (RFID) for commodities and goods will have a major effect on many
businesses and company divisions during the next few years. As a result, the Federal Ministry of
Economics and Technology is organising a specialist conference to underline the importance of RFID from a technological and economic point of view. The ministry is doing so as part of the German
presidency of the EU and is acting in tandem with the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the European Commission. The aim is to outline joint strategies to exploit the opportunities for Europe to successfully use RFID in the face of international competition.

Based on data available at the moment, analysts estimate that the share of gross value added
affected by RFID could rise significantly in relevant business sectors in the medium term. A study prepared for the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology to examine sub-categories, where RFID could play a role in Germany, expects that by the year 2010 RFID will be significant in approx. EUR 62 billion worth of business in manufacturing industry, trade/commerce and public and private services out of a total gross value added of EUR 764 billion; by way of contrast, the RFID share was just EUR 3 billion in 2004, when the gross value added amounted to EUR 654 billion. This is a clear indication that RFID will assume a significant role and will cut across traditional sector boundaries in the medium term; so it is up to politicians to work hard to establish a framework for its use.

Based on existing activities, the different views and priorities of European member states with regard to the market, technology and society will be presented for discussion at workshops dealing with these themes on the first day of the conference.

The main focus of the second day will be three discussion rounds involving senior figures from politics, business, science and society. The aim is to develop the first day's results and pinpoint options that politicians could adopt.

The conference will take place in Berlin on 25 and 26 June and is directed at senior figures in politics and government, experts and managers from the worlds of business and science and leading
representatives of social groups.

European conference
entitled “RFID: Towards the Internet of Things” organised by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology in Berlin on 25th and 26th of June 2007

Radio frequency identification (RFID) for commodities and goods will have a major effect on many
businesses and company divisions during the next few years. As a result, the Federal Ministry of
Economics and Technology is organising a specialist conference to underline the importance of RFID from a technological and economic point of view. The ministry is doing so as part of the German
presidency of the EU and is acting in tandem with the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the European Commission. The aim is to outline joint strategies to exploit the opportunities for Europe to successfully use RFID in the face of international competition.

Based on data available at the moment, analysts estimate that the share of gross value added
affected by RFID could rise significantly in relevant business sectors in the medium term. A study prepared for the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology to examine sub-categories, where RFID could play a role in Germany, expects that by the year 2010 RFID will be significant in approx. EUR 62 billion worth of business in manufacturing industry, trade/commerce and public and private services out of a total gross value added of EUR 764 billion; by way of contrast, the RFID share was just EUR 3 billion in 2004, when the gross value added amounted to EUR 654 billion. This is a clear indication that RFID will assume a significant role and will cut across traditional sector boundaries in the medium term; so it is up to politicians to work hard to establish a framework for its use.

Based on existing activities, the different views and priorities of European member states with regard to the market, technology and society will be presented for discussion at workshops dealing with these themes on the first day of the conference.

The main focus of the second day will be three discussion rounds involving senior figures from politics, business, science and society. The aim is to develop the first day's results and pinpoint options that politicians could adopt.

The conference will take place in Berlin on 25 and 26 June and is directed at senior figures in politics and government, experts and managers from the worlds of business and science and leading
representatives of social groups.