Assa Abloy Identification Technologies (ITG), one of the providers of products and services in the RFID market, has announced the acquisition of Aontec, a manufacturer of inlays for secured electronic documents including passports, national ID and driver’s licenses.  Based in Ireland, Aontec is a leading supplier of HF13.56 MHz pre-laminates from a range of thermoplastic materials including PET and polycarbonate.  Through this acquisition, ITG has a presence in over 15 countries and two certified European production sites for e-document components and is best positioned to respond to the sophisticated needs of governments worldwide. 

Established 1997 Aontec has successfully built up its global business with significant sales growth in recent years.  Apart from its advanced technological know-how in wire-embedding processes, the company has vast experience in the use of a wide range of thermoplastic materials and thus offers customised solutions for specific customer requirements as well as a selection of generic inlay products.

With currently an estimated 800 million passports in circulation worldwide, the switch to electronic passports is expected to increase rapidly with an estimated annual replacement rate eventually rising to around 100 million.  With governments in several countries planning electronic ID projects, the demand for e-document components is expected to continue to grow in the next years.

“The acquisition of Aontec enables ITG to expand into new geographical markets and to further grow our market share”, says Juan Garcia, CEO of ITG.  “Through Aontec’s global presence we deliver to more than 15 countries including Germany, Spain and the UK.  This puts us into a position where we can further increase our global market presence for inlays.”

“Our plant is the oldest wire-embedded inlay production facility in the world”, says Seamus O’Keeffe, Managing Director of Aontec.  “We are very pleased that our broad know-how and longstanding experience has been recognized and that we now contribute to the success of a leading market player - ITG.”

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