AIM Year in Review Highlights Priorities, Activities – Capturing the Pulse of Our Industry

AIM Year in Review Highlights Priorities, Activities – Capturing the Pulse of Our Industry

Pittsburgh, PA, January 7, 2026 – AIM Global, the leading industry association and global authority for more than 50 years in innovation, standards, and solutions in digital asset tracking technologies and solutions, is pleased to announce the release of its 2025 Year in Review Report, which offers a holistic view of AIM staff and member leader happenings over the past year. The report is now available for download.

From high-level global initiatives to advocacy that matters, AIM delivered wins that strengthen the entire supply chain. Together, AIM’s 400-plus members and partners drove key growth and shaped outcomes on critical issues impacting the industry. Highlights include:

  • The association convened industry at a record number of conferences and forums across the globe. These gatherings offered a chance to reconnect, learn, and share best practices.
  • AIM’s first-ever Fundamentals and Advanced Educational Workshops providing hands-on learning experiences.
  • Launch of two Mastermind Groups – Women of AIDC and Young Professionals – comprised of non-competing professionals providing mentorship, mutual support, and community building.
  • Advocated for the effective, safe, and interoperable use of AIDC technologies specifically related to the Digital Product Passport alignment, spectrum protection for RAIN RFID, and smart, standards-based consumer labeling.
  • More than a dozen experts weigh in on the outlook for 2026 to help stakeholders gain agility, build resilience, and uncover new opportunities in the year ahead.

The 2025 Year in Review also includes a host of additional association information, including a listing of association board members, chapter secretariats, awards, recognitions, and global initiatives.

The Year in Review is available both as a downloadable PDF and a browser-accessible version, ensuring greater accessibility and convenience.

 

The report also features insights from industry thought leaders on the future of AIDC technologies and AIM’s strategic priorities for 2026 and beyond.

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“Thank you to everyone in this great industry who helped make 2025 a time of growth, innovation, and collaboration. Your partnership advanced this industry for all. I invite you to watch our webinar which recaps key achievements and milestones and explore this complete AIM Year in Review to see the full story of what we have accomplished together,” shared AIM Global CEO Mary Lou Bosco.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Key Insights from AIM’s 2025 Industry Direction Report

RFID continues to gain momentum across global supply chains.  AIM’s 2025 Automatic Identification and Data Capture Industry Direction Report highlights just how rapidly the technology is advancing.

Drawing from more than 200 responses across end users and AIDC professionals, the report offers an interesting and comprehensive view of RFID adoption, demand expectations, and the market forces shaping the next two years.

 

Some Report Insights: RFID’s Growth Outlook Is Strong Even Amid Tight Budgets

While many enterprises face pressure from budget constraints and competing technology priorities, the report found that 84% of AIDC industry professionals expect RFID demand to increase through 2026. RFID readers and smart label printers are among the very top categories for expected demand growth, with more than half of industry respondents anticipating moderate or significant increases.

End users are more cautious than vendors, but the trend still points upward.

The report also shows that organizations investing in traceability, ERP upgrades, industrial IoT, and AI are significantly more likely to increase their RFID spending than those without these initiatives. RFID’s ability to feed real-time, trusted data into higher-order systems (AI, robotics, WMS, 5G infrastructure, and cloud platforms) seems to be cementing its role as a foundational technology in digital transformation efforts.

 

Some Report Insights:  Traceability Is the RFID Growth Engine

One of the most important findings in the report is the influence of traceability initiatives on RFID adoption.  The report found:

  • 69% of enterprises investing in traceability plan to purchase RFID systems, compared to just 5% among companies not prioritizing traceability.
  • These same organizations are also more likely to invest in sensors, WMS platforms, and RTLS, illustrating the broader ecosystem RFID supports.

Upcoming and expanding compliance programs are major accelerators as well, including:

  • EU Digital Product Passport (DPP)
  • GS1 Sunrise 2027
  • FSMA 204 food traceability rules
  • UDI/GUDID medical device requirements

The report stresses that many enterprises may not yet fully understand their obligations and that AIM members will be uniquely positioned to educate and lead in these areas.

 

Some Report Insights:  Where RFID Spending Will Happen

In the reports findings it was also observed that the top RFID-related product categories for end users include:

  • Handheld RFID readers: Strong growth indicators, especially where mobility and in-process automation are needed.
  • RFID smart label printers: Ranked highly by both end users and solution providers, signaling sustained investment in item-level encoding.
  • RFID readers integrated into mobile computers: A favored option in environments where workforce flexibility is essential.
  • Fixed RFID infrastructure: While more budget-sensitive, these systems remain critical in high-volume and high-accuracy environments.

Industry professionals; whose forecasting historically correlates well with real-world adoption, ranked RFID readers and smart label printers as the #1 and #2 categories for demand growth across the entire AIDC industry.

 

RFID’s Expanding Role in Enterprise Digitalization

The report notes that enterprises pursuing IoT, warehouse automation, robotics, cloud migration, and AI initiatives are far more likely to adopt or expand RFID in the same timeframe.

This signals a shift in RFID’s role:
From stand-alone technology → to a strategic data layer powering next-generation digital systems.

With nearly every emerging enterprise program relying on highly accurate, real-time data, RFID is increasingly viewed as an enabler—not an accessory.

The RFID insights highlighted here represent just a small portion of the findings in AIM’s 33-page report. The full publication includes additional details on:

  • RFID adoption trends by industry
  • Comparative analysis of AIDC technologies
  • Key motivators and barriers for enterprise investments
  • Compliance-driven opportunities
  • Forecasts for adjacent technologies such as sensors, IoT, and machine vision

AIM members can receive a complimentary copy by emailing Bethany Deane to request a free download code.

 

Download the report:
https://www.aimglobal.org/2025-industry-direction-report/

AIDC 101 & 102 Fundamentals Workshop Recap

AIDC 101 & 102 Fundamentals Workshop Recap

Thank you to our sponsors!

Hosted at the TSC Academy | November 18–19, 2025

AIM Global successfully wrapped another great education and networking event with our two-day AIDC 101 & 102 Workshop experience.  The workshop event brought together newcomers, seasoned professionals, and end-users for hands-on learning, standards education, and real-world technology demonstrations.

 

Across both days, attendees gained practical experience with barcoding, RFID, labeling, data capture devices, media selection, systems integration, regulatory compliance, sustainability, and quality assurance. From workstation rotations and encoding labs to printer and scanner setup exercises and compliance discussions, the program provided a unique opportunity to learn directly from the experts who help shape today’s global AIDC standards.

 

Thanks, AIM Global for a great event and to my organization for investing in my growth!

AIDC 101 Highlights

Day one grounded participants in the fundamentals of AIDC, including:

  • What AIDC is, why it matters, and how today’s major technologies work
  • Hands-on barcode creation, RFID encoding, scanning, and inventory workflows
  • Labeling, media, and data carrier basics
  • Industry landscape and standards overview (AIM, GS1, ISO and more)
  • Real-world demos across retail, food traceability, logistics labeling, and warehouse operations

The afternoon workstations allowed attendees to get close to the equipment, understand data flow, and see AIDC in action across real supply chain use cases.

AIDC 102 Highlights

Day two advanced into deeper technical and strategic topics, including:

  • Identifier structures, serialization schemes, digital twins, and DPP readiness
  • Label materials, adhesives, ribbons, and RFID tag construction
  • Printer and scanner setup, calibration, and troubleshooting
  • Systems integration (middleware, edge devices, ERP/WMS connectivity, cloud dashboards)
  • Regulatory frameworks (EU DPP, FDA UDI, DSCSA, FSMA 204) and traceability requirements
  • Sustainability through AIDC, including smart labeling and ESG-driven data
  • QA/QC best practices and verification tools for accuracy and compliance

The high-engagement format was complete with live demos, scan challenges, integration mapping use cases, and verification exercises, made the 102 course especially impactful for attendees responsible for deploying or improving AIDC systems.

Thank You to All Instructors & Participants

Your energy, questions, and enthusiasm made this one of AIM’s most successful workshop series yet. Both sessions concluded with certificate presentations and group discussions, highlighting the powerful role of standards-based AIDC in creating visibility, traceability, efficiency, and trust across today’s supply chains.

 

Stay Tuned — 2026 Schedule Coming Soon

These highly valuable workshops are designed for:

  • Newcomers looking to build foundational knowledge
  • Seasoned professionals seeking to sharpen their expertise
  • End-users planning to implement AIDC technologies within their operations

Don’t want to wait?
Reach out to Michael Allen for private workshops, team training, or upcoming session availability.
724.742.4476