Toppan Digital, a Toppan Group company and wholly owned subsidiary of Toppan Holdings, will participate in AIPIA & AWA Smart Packaging World Congress 2025, the global event dedicated to the future of smart packaging, which will be held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on 23 and 24 June.
The AIPIA & AWA Smart Packaging World Congress is an annual event co-hosted by AIPIA (Active & Intelligent Packaging Industry Association) and AWA (Alexander Watson Associates) as an international forum for the latest technologies and industry trends in the smart packaging sector. It features expert-led presentations and exhibits from the industry’s leading companies and organizations.
Toppan Digital has taken part in the event for several years, showcasing its high-security NFC tags (authenticity verification/opening detection) and its ID authentication platform. At this year’s congress, Toppan Digital will present integrated digital solutions that harness RFID (UHF/NFC) tags to address challenges in the fashion, fragrance, beauty, and wine/spirits sectors.
These include new marketing strategies, enhanced customer experiences, and management of inventory and period after opening (PAO). In a talk titled ‘Unlocking the Power of Connected Retail – Innovative Integration of NFC Tags into Packaging,’ Toppan Digital experts will also explain how NFC delivers solutions for brands in those industries.
Background and Aims
The fragrance, beauty, and wine/spirits sectors are seeing intense competition due to the entry of new brands and players from other industries. This has exposed critical challenges due to inadequate individual item management, leading to difficult recall responses, increased inventory waste, and lost sales opportunities in stores.
To differentiate themselves, companies must focus on creating unique brand value through enhanced consumer engagement. Going forward, fashion and beauty brands will also be required to comply with Digital Product Passport (DPP) regulations being phased in for products sold within the European Union. At the same time, brands are having to create new customer touchpoints and enhance customer service as well as striving to streamline operations and achieve labor savings.
Toppan Digital solutions powered by RFID (UHF/NFC) can help brands satisfy regulatory requirements, drive differentiation, reduce personnel needs, and raise customer service levels.
At AIPIA & AWA Smart Packaging World Congress, Toppan will present its vision for new value by showcasing solutions that blend packaging with digital solutions to address the challenges faced by brands in every sector of the European market.
Main solutions on show
Innovative retail management solution to enhance brand value: Toppan Digital’s RFID (UHF/NFC) powered retail management solution offers comprehensive management of inventory, product expiry dates and PAO, and highly efficient recall processes through individual item tracking. This allows for the reduction of discarded inventory and enables rapid, efficient retrieval of individual items during a recall. These capabilities ensure efficient store operations, protect brand trust, and elevate brand value through enhanced sustainability practices.
Diverse NFC tag integration options for DPP compliance: To meet DPP requirements, Toppan Digital offers various NFC tag integration solutions for apparel, footwear, and leather goods. Toppan Digital can embed NFC tags into woven labels, care labels, leather patches, and buttons, enabling enhanced product traceability and customer engagement to support a seamless transition to DPP.
Smart packages with integrated NFC functions: Design quality is maintained by integrating NFC tags into the structure of paper-based packages. An opening detection function incorporated into the NFC tag makes it possible to inform consumers of whether a package has been opened or not and to manage warehouse inventory. It can also be used as a tool for generating new customer touchpoints, such as by providing exclusive information or perks to people who purchase the product.
NFC tags with LEDs for beauty product packaging: When a smartphone is held up to an NFC tag with LEDs, the LEDs light up. The tags can be integrated into containers such as the mirror sections of compacts or vanity boxes, with the LEDs lighting up when the consumer holds their smartphone up to the tag. In addition to giving containers a high-quality look, it can also drive brand differentiation by providing a new experience to consumers.
Product ID authentication platform: In this cloud-based service, consumer smartphones can be used to scan ID devices for individual products, enabling provision of product information, verification of authenticity, product promotions, and a range of other services. The data collected can be used to facilitate supply chain management, such as traceability and gray market detection. The Toppan Group is expanding features in line with market needs and intensifying efforts in Europe by combining its resources with the core secure NFC authentication functions of the ID authentication platform provided by Selinko, a Belgian IoT solution provider that joined the Toppan Group in 2024.
