Smartrac buys a 25 percent stake in Multitape

Now that its antenna inlay patent dispute with Germany-based Assa Abloy Identification Technologies has been resolved, Netherlands-based Smartrac N.V. is back in the thick of the ePassport game. The company, which is involved in seventy of the ninety-five e-passport projects worldwide, announced this week that it had acquired a 25 percent stake in Germany-based Multitape, also manufacturer of smart card inlays, as well as etched smart labels. Under the agreement, the tow companies will cooperate in the production of RFID components. “Multitape has great expertise in etching. We will obtain access to this technology as a strategically optimal supplement to wire-embedding technology, which continues to be Smartrac’s core competence,” said company CEO Manfred Rietzler.

Of course, Smartrac does not need much help with the inlays themselves. Rather, the company is interested in Multitape’s etching’s abilities, etching being the method of cutting antenna structures out of a carrier substrate. “We regard etching technology as an option primarily for applications in logistics and access control,” said Rietzler. “We are now ideally placed in these segments with high volumes and great growth potential, and can further extend our product portfolio.” Smartrac also holds a 30 percent stake in Kulim, Malaysia-based Xytec Solutions, which holds patented inlay-manufacturing machinery.

-read more in this company news release