Amsterdam Area frontrunner in RFID usage
The Netherlands is ahead of the game in Europe when it comes to RFID usage. Home to the most enterprises that use this technology, the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area proves ideal for ICT business.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technology which uses special tags to remotely retrieve data by radio waves. This technology is, for the most part, used to keep track of freight passing through a cargo terminal, to monitor inventory or to identify and control access of persons.
According to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union (EU), 9% of Dutch enterprises use RFID. That is triple the European average of 3%.
The Netherlands are followed by Finland (8%), Germany, Austria and Slovakia (all 4%).
Using RFID
Of the Dutch companies that use RFID, most of them deploy it for personal identification or access control (78%). Other popular uses of RFID by Dutch companies are: supply chain and inventory tracking and tracing (18%) and monitoring and control of industrial production (13%).
Amsterdam Area's IT charms
The majority of new international firms moving to Amsterdam are in the ICT sector (30 of the 105 in 2008). Besides a solid digital infrastructure, the Amsterdam Area’s attractions include the largest data hub in the world, world class research institutes and the innovative companies that make use of them, and a large pool of talented professionals.
Eurostat released the above data on RFID usage on 19 January 2010 as a part of a survey on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in enterprises. To download the complete results visit Eurostat.
