Merck and Zebra Technologies Partner for Safety and Traceability Solutions
Merck, a leading science and technology company, has joined forces with Zebra Technologies Corporation, a global leader in digitizing and automating frontline workflows, to co-create innovative solutions that tackle pressing issues surrounding product verification, authenticity, safety, and trust. This collaboration marks the launch of M-Trust™, the first cyber-physical trust platform that integrates mobile computer scanning solutions, specifically designed to address challenges related to product safety, traceability, and counterfeiting in supply chains and manufacturing processes.
The Need for Product Verification and Trust
In today’s rapidly evolving global supply chains, the need for secure, accurate, and traceable product verification has never been greater. Counterfeiting remains a persistent problem, costing businesses billions annually and undermining consumer trust. As products move through various stages of production, distribution, and sale, ensuring their authenticity and safety is crucial to maintaining business integrity and consumer confidence.
Merck and Zebra Technologies recognize these challenges and are leveraging their combined expertise to provide a solution that enhances product verification and ensures trust throughout the supply chain. Their collaboration aims to bring more accuracy and reliability to processes, offering both businesses and consumers peace of mind.
M-Trust™: A Cyber-Physical Trust Platform
The centerpiece of this partnership is M-Trust™, an innovative cyber-physical trust platform designed to secure product authenticity and traceability across value chains. The platform uses advanced technologies to create secure digital twins by linking the physical and digital worlds. This ensures that every product is accurately verified, and its origin is transparently tracked, thus preventing counterfeiting and ensuring product safety.
According to Thomas Endress, Head of M-Trust™ at Merck, “By combining our expertise in identification and authentication, both companies will deliver essential solutions for reliable data access across value chains. This integration builds trust in AI systems regarding data authenticity and origin.” He further emphasized that their collaboration would provide businesses with the tools to enhance operations, ensuring compliance and accuracy in an environment where trust is paramount.
Zebra Technologies: Powering Frontline Innovation
Zebra Technologies brings its extensive experience in mobile computing, asset visibility, and identity capture solutions to this partnership. With Zebra’s advanced portfolio of tools, the companies aim to provide manufacturers and frontline workers with an intelligent solution that automates critical verifications. These solutions not only streamline operations but also offer complete visibility into assets and inventory, making it easier for businesses to track their products through every stage of the supply chain.
James Poulton, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Enterprise Mobile Computing at Zebra Technologies, commented, “We are proud to work with Merck on this important initiative, which gives manufacturers and their frontline workers a unique solution to intelligently automate essential verifications in their manufacturing and supply chain operations. Together, we can support customers to become Industry 4.0 leaders with connected factories and supply chains.”
Collaboration Benefits for Manufacturing and AI
The collaboration between Merck and Zebra Technologies is designed to achieve unprecedented levels of security, accuracy, and trust in manufacturing value chains. By combining Zebra’s expertise in mobile computing with Merck’s patented authentication technologies, the partners aim to deliver solutions that will enhance product verification, prevent counterfeiting, and improve traceability across industries.
This partnership will also provide high-quality data that can be used for training and testing AI models, improving the capabilities of artificial intelligence systems as they are integrated into real-world applications. As businesses continue to adopt AI solutions, having access to reliable, authentic data will be critical for enhancing analytics and operational efficiency.
The Handheld Reader: Enhancing the M-Trust™ Platform
The first tangible outcome of the Merck-Zebra collaboration is a newly designed handheld reader that enhances the M-Trust™ platform. This cutting-edge mobile scanner is based on Zebra’s TC58 mobile computer and integrates Merck’s security-pigment detector, the SEC-Reader. This device will enable users to scan products and instantly share data with the M-Trust™ platform, allowing for quick and secure verification.
One of the key features of this handheld reader is its ability to function seamlessly within a mobile environment, enabling users to verify products without switching devices. It includes tools for frontline communication, such as a two-way radio, a 16 MP camera, and a 1D/2D barcode scanner. Additionally, the device supports Wi-Fi 6E or 5G connectivity, ensuring fast and secure data transfer.
Meeting Industry 4.0 Demands with Cutting-Edge Technology
The development of this handheld reader is a significant step in advancing Industry 4.0—an era defined by the integration of advanced technologies into manufacturing processes. The M-Trust™ platform, along with the new mobile reader, is designed to adapt to evolving technologies and regulatory requirements, including initiatives like the EU Digital Product Passport.
The platform’s Web 3.0 architecture makes it flexible enough to adjust to changing needs, helping businesses stay competitive in a dynamic landscape. By offering a solution that provides real-time product verification, M-Trust™ ensures that organizations can maintain trust with regulators and consumers alike.
Live Demonstrations at Hannover Messe
A working prototype of the mobile scanner, crypto anchor technologies, and the M-Trust™ platform will be showcased at Zebra’s booth during Hannover Messe 2025, Hall 9, Stand H71. At the event, both Zebra and Merck specialists will be on hand to discuss the new solutions and demonstrate how the collaboration is shaping the future of product safety, traceability, and authenticity.
Looking Ahead: Strengthening Supply Chains and Consumer Confidence
As industries increasingly rely on digital solutions to streamline operations, the need for secure, traceable, and authentic products will continue to grow. Through their collaboration, Merck and Zebra Technologies are helping to address these demands by delivering innovative solutions that enhance product verification and build trust in the supply chain.
The M-Trust™ platform and the new handheld reader are just the beginning of a long-term collaboration that will continue to evolve as new technologies emerge and regulatory landscapes change. With a shared commitment to improving manufacturing processes, product safety, and customer trust, Merck and Zebra Technologies are poised to be at the forefront of driving change in the global supply chain industry.
By delivering high-quality, reliable, and authentic data, businesses and consumers alike will benefit from a more secure and transparent future in product verification.
About Zebra Technologies
Zebra (NASDAQ: ZBRA) provides the solutions to help businesses grow through increased asset visibility, connected frontline workers and intelligent automation. The company operates in more than 100 countries, and our customers include over 80% of the Fortune 500. Designed for the frontline, Zebra’s award-winning portfolio includes hardware, software, and services, all backed by our 50+ years of innovation and global partner ecosystem. Follow Zebra on our blog and LinkedIn, visit our newsroom and learn more at www.zebra.com.
About Merck
Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across life science, healthcare and electronics. More than 62,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From providing products and services that accelerate drug development and manufacturing as well as discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2024, Merck generated sales of € 21.2 billion in 65 countries.
Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to Merck’s technological and scientific advances. This is how Merck has thrived since its founding in 1668. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck operate as MilliporeSigma in life science, EMD Serono in healthcare, and EMD Electronics in electronics.
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