Gamechanging RFID alliance as University of Cambridge and Hanshow collaborate
The collaboration unites Cambridge’s world-leading expertise in ultra-low-power sensing and communication with worldwide operator Hanshow’s industrial-scale deployment capabilities, aiming to set a new technological benchmark for the global retail sector.
As retailers worldwide transition to increasingly automated, data-rich, and energy-efficient store environments, demand is rising for IoT systems that can sense, adapt and operate reliably at scale.
The new partnership is designed to tackle this challenge head-on by integrating Cambridge research in intelligent sensing, energy harvesting and algorithmic optimisation with Hanshow’s edge-computing platforms and extensive real-world retail data infrastructure.
The joint project will explore innovative smart RFID technologies for energy harvesting, backscatter signal reflection, and reliable signal acquisition. By combining theoretical modelling, simulation and in-store experimentation, the team aims to dramatically improve signal coverage, data fidelity and resilience in complex retail environments.
For Cambridge researchers, the collaboration offers an opportunity to demonstrate how state-of-the-art engineering in distributed hardware systems can deliver measurable commercial and societal impact. For Hanshow, it provides a direct innovation pathway to future AIoT-driven retail solutions that enhance operational accuracy, reduce energy consumption and support more sustainable, responsive store infrastructures.
Min Liang, CTO of Hanshow, said: “With this collaboration, Hanshow is taking a decisive step toward reshaping the technological backbone of future retail. Working with Cambridge enables us to convert advanced research into scalable, intelligent systems that deliver meaningful value for retailers worldwide.”
Associate Professor Michael Crisp, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge added: “By combining our work in low-energy, high-efficiency hardware with Hanshow’s global innovation capacity, we can accelerate the arrival of truly adaptive retail IoT. This partnership is a powerful example of how academic–industry collaboration can drive real-world impact.”
The programme will progress through a series of research milestones and experimental deployments, generating both academic outputs and commercially ready technologies. It forms a central part of Hanshow’s global R & D strategy to connect digital and physical retail through AIoT architectures that improve efficiency, transparency and sustainability.