
Near-field communication (NFC) technology has experienced remarkable growth and integration across various sectors, significantly enhancing user experiences and streamlining daily operations. This technology is gaining popularity not only as a communication technology but also as a bridging connectivity platform and as a reliable and secure payment mechanism.
According to external market research, the total NFC market will reach US$ 54.5 billion by 2028. As per NFC Forum and ABI research, 80% of respondents across nine countries have used NFC technology for contactless payments with ease.
To add to its potential advantage, in the year 2019, the NFC Forum launched the standard specification for NFC Wireless Charging (NFC WLC) technology, focusing on providing wireless power to small battery-powered’ devices with initial power limits up to 1W, later advancing to 2W specifications.
NFC WLC technology has already been adopted across 5-6 key product categories, including digital stylus pens, smart glasses, sports and fitness trackers, smart locks, smart rings, medical devices, and a few other small devices.
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NFC WLC comes with great benefits, in addition to integrated communication and connectivity features. By eliminating the need for bulky charging ports and cables, NFC WLC enables clean, minimalist designs which makes it the best choice for integrating into small battery-powered products like wireless earbuds, wearables, small computing devices, smart fitness trackers, and medical devices. With an antenna size as small as 4×9 mm, NFC fits into space-constrained designs, allowing for sleek and efficient products that meet the demands of establishments and consumers.
NFC wireless charging is poised to be a game-changer, especially for small, low-power devices. It utilizes a radio frequency of 13.56 MHz, providing up to 2W of power, making it suitable for smaller gadgets like wireless earbuds, digital stylus pens, fitness trackers, smart glasses, smart rings, and medical devices such as hearing aids and other small form-factor devices that also need a communication protocol.
One of the key advantages of NFC WLC is its compact design, which supports minimalistic aesthetics by eliminating charging ports and bulky connectors. It also reduces manufacturing complexity and promotes sustainability by removing the need for disposable batteries, reducing electronic waste, and improving product durability.
Amongst various forms of wireless charging technology, NFC WLC is considered a ‘Designers’ Delight‘ as it helps them to integrate into any device without compromising on the original design. Another important driver of NFC WLC is the ease of integration as well as relatively lower (nearly negligible) Bills of Material (BoM$) costs.
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NFC and the Digital Product Passport (DPP)
NFC wireless charging is setting the stage for revolutionising how we power smaller battery-powered devices. One of the most exciting areas where NFC is making a significant impact is the Digital Product Passport (DPP). The DPP is a tool designed to store essential product information related to sustainability, reuse, and recyclability. It also stores essential information related to a product’s sustainability, reuse, and recyclability.
As Identiv rightly describes it, “The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a data-rich tool designed to collect and track information about a product across its entire lifecycle. From the sourcing of raw materials to manufacturing, distribution, usage, and disposal, the DPP ensures full transparency, providing detailed insights into a product’s environmental footprint.“
As industries strive to reduce waste and promote circular economy practices, the DPP becomes an invaluable resource for ensuring products are properly recycled, remanufactured, and reused. NFC plays a critical role here by serving as a secure, tamper-proof data carrier that links physical products to their digital records stored in the cloud. This connection ensures that DPP information remains accessible throughout a product’s lifecycle (from the source of raw material to the end-consumer to recycle/restoration or end-of-life stage}. By scanning an NFC tag embedded in a product, stakeholders can access vital details on how to recycle or repurpose that item.
Hence, these tags act as a durable, tamper-resistant data carrier, linking physical products to their digital records in the cloud. This linkage ensures the longevity of DPP access throughout the product’s lifecycle. Additionally, the potential for NFC chips to store all DPP data offline is a game-changer. It allows for continuous access to product information, even without an internet connection, enhancing transparency and reducing the risk of counterfeiting.
Confirming authentication is one of its other key features. Incorporating NFC technology into DPP systems optimizes product lifecycles as well as strengthens trust in the authenticity of products. By embedding all relevant data within a product, NFC technology ensures a transparent chain of custody, which is crucial for industries looking to meet stringent sustainability standards.
Vision NFC: Collaboration for a Sustainable Future
Vision NFC is an initiative led by the NFC Forum, designed to facilitate industry-wide collaboration and expand the application of NFC technology across sectors. One of its core goals is simplifying the development and adoption of NFC-enabled DPP systems, particularly in the European Union, where sustainability and circular economy initiatives are becoming legislative priorities.
Vision NFC serves as a platform for bringing together key players to establish standards that support product traceability, operational efficiency, and consumer knowledge, all while promoting sustainability.
WAWT was glad to be part of the recent Vision NFC event held on 8th October 2024, where our subject matter expert, Dinesh Kithany was invited to present, in an interactive industry session, the latest update on the wireless power market, with a focus on NFC Wireless Charging, its use-cases and market opportunity.
This initiative (Vision NFC) is gaining momentum as more industries recognize the potential of NFC to drive sustainable innovations. By supporting the seamless integration of NFC into products, Vision NFC aims to create a future where the circular economy is a reality, reducing waste and maximizing resource efficiency on a global scale. WAWT was thrilled to see the integration of NFC WLC into this Vision NFC initiative, which is expected to further boost the adoption of NFC WLC into wider application markets.
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The Impact of the Digital Product Passport (DPP)
The DPP is set to become a vital tool in the global push for sustainability. By storing and sharing detailed product information, it ensures that items can be efficiently recycled, reused, or remanufactured, contributing to a reduction in waste.
As the European Union prepares to introduce DPP legislation for sectors such as electronics, textiles, and batteries by 2024, NFC technology will play an essential role in linking physical products to their digital identities(nfc-wireless-power-over…). This linkage will not only enhance transparency and trust but also provide companies with new opportunities to extract value from products that would otherwise be discarded.
NFC-enabled DPP systems offer a streamlined, efficient way to ensure compliance with sustainability goals. By allowing easy access to product data, these systems support stakeholders in making informed decisions about how to handle materials at the end of their lifecycle. As the world transitions towards a circular economy, NFC technology will be key to ensuring that resources remain in use for as long as possible.
NFC DPP and the Innovation Awards
The NFC Forum’s Innovation Awards celebrate cutting-edge applications of NFC technology, and many of the winning solutions reflect the principles behind the Digital Product Passport (DPP) initiative. Winners from the 2024 edition include solutions such as IoTize’s App Creator; Blu Oberon’s bluon.me Semiperdo Smart Wristband; and Erisco with its innovative battery-less smart padlock, which showcases NFC’s versatility in areas like wireless charging, authentication, and sustainability. Other innovation award winners were ProQure‘s NFC IC PQ201-S and BP Digital was a winner with Noumi,
The award-winning products demonstrated how NFC DPP is not just a tool for convenience but a technology that can drive meaningful change in industries ranging from consumer electronics to healthcare. As NFC continues to evolve, its ability to support both power and data transmission will unlock new opportunities for product development and sustainability alike.
The Future of NFC: Driving Innovation and Sustainability
NFC technology is at the forefront of driving both innovation and sustainability. Its ability to transmit power wirelessly while also acting as a data carrier makes it a versatile solution for product design and circular economy initiatives. As more industries adopt NFC-enabled systems like the Digital Product Passport, the potential for NFC to create a more sustainable and connected world becomes clear. With its minimalistic design capabilities, ease of use, and ability to promote long product lifecycles, NFC is set to play a central role in the future of technology and sustainability.
From enhancing user experiences with seamless communication and wireless charging capabilities to ensuring that products remain part of the circular economy through DPP systems, NFC offers a multifaceted approach to solving some of today’s most pressing challenges. As businesses prepare for future regulations and sustainability standards, NFC technology will be an indispensable tool for achieving these goals. To find out more about joining the NFC Forum Community, visit the NFC Forum website.
About Wired and Wireless Technologies (WAWT)
Wired and Wireless Technologies (WAWT), a strategic technology analyst and consulting firm, through its comprehensive research provides critical market data, insights and intelligence on the wireless power market. Its ‘Wireless Power Intelligence Service‘ covers various types of wireless power technology solutions using different frequency levels – be it inductive, resonance, NFC WLC, RF, or infrared-based. WAWT monitors the adoption of such wireless power solutions across 30+ different types of application markets covering automotive, consumer, computing, wearables, hearables, medical/healthcare, smart home, industrial, robotics, retail, infrastructure, and other sectors.
Feel free to reach out to our subject matter experts (SMEs) by emailing us at analyst@wawt.tech and following our LinkedIn page (WAWT) and other social platforms for the latest market estimates and forecasts, trends, insights, and updates on wireless power/charging and allied technologies.