Could 2025 be the Year for Smart and Sustainable IoT Labels?

At the recent CES 2025 consumer electronics event in Las Vegas, two companies, Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) and Linxens, unveiled their new smart label solutions, marking a significant advance in brand protection and supply chain integrity.

However, these companies are not alone in the race to provide solutions for brands seeking a new era of traceability, security, sustainability, and consumer engagement.

Innovations by other industry players, such as Roambee, and Nexxiot, indicate a surging demand and potential for these technologies.

So, is 2025 set to be the year that marks a considerable leap in the adoption and innovation of smart and sustainable IoT labels?

The growing market for smart labels

Once considered experimental technologies, these devices have rapidly evolved into a cornerstone of modern logistics and supply chain management.

For example, according to Berg Insight, the global market for smart labels as active tracking devices in cargo and freight applications reached 11.1 million units in 2023, with projections that it would double to 22.4 million by 2028. This growth, driven by a compound annual growth rate of 15%, highlights the increasing reliance on realtime data to optimise operations.