About

Scientists Harri Määtälä from the Oulu University of Applied Sciences with one of the machines at Prinlab which will be used to create the Smart-Labels. Photo: Wilhelm Solheim/Nofima

Time:   May 1st 2015 – May 1st 2018
Financed by:  
The Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme 2014-2020
In cooperation with:
   University of Iceland (Island), Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Finland), Ardtoe Marine Research Facility (Skottland) og Hätälä (Finland)

Objectives

The project objective is to develop a Smart-Label System which will:

  • Monitoring and tracking of sensitive good during transport – from source to consumer.
  • An electronic printed label that will be put on food packages for measuring temperature.
  • The telecommunication system retrieves data from the electronic labels, adds time and GPS positioning data and sends it to the online server.
  • The online server stores data from the telecomunication solution and processess it. The system has an online browser interface for users.

The core product developed in Smart-Fish is an electronic label (an electronic device printed onto a thin, flexible label) that will be put on individual food packages.

Also developed, is a service for collecting and presenting data from the electronic labels. It can be used for monitoring and tracking location and temperature of packages during transport, and the results will be presented both to the producers / distributors and to the end-consumers in a user-friendly way by use of smart phones.

Using the service, food producers can monitor their packages during transport and verify if they are properly handled. Hence, the service will be a useful tool for improving handling and to verify insurance claims.

Furthermore, customers can use the service to retrieve historical data verifying product quality and shelf life of the products.

Changes

Service such as the one proposed in this project is not available today and has the potential of radically changing the food transport as well as the transport of other sensitive goods; e.g., medical and live animals.

The service will make the Nordic area more competitive by being in the forefront in securing traceability and transparency of vulnerable high quality products. Fish producers and distributors will for example be able to ensure the stated quality and shelf life of their products by knowing precise data about the handling and storage.

The project’s challenge is to develop and test the service and its individual components; e.g., electronic label, telecommunications, online storage and user interfaces. The pilot testing will be carried out in collaboration with the end-users from the industry.

The project will also focus on marketing issues, including stakeholder analysis at both producer and consumer ends.