Experts from Croatian company AKD have developed an innovative technological solution that enables traceability of tobacco products tested in collaboration with the tobacco industry, making Croatia one of the first EU countries with such a high-tech solution
Croatian IT company AKD, has been testing in collaboration with the tobacco industry, an advanced product authentication and traceability system for tobacco products in the course of production that will enable the implementation of the tobacco traceability system, i.e. pack unit-based monitoring of tobacco products from the production phase to the market. This innovative technological solution has been developed by AKD, and its implementation is an additional step in the direction of preventing and reducing the illegal trade of the tobacco products.
Due to the testing process, Croatia positioned itself as one of the few lead EU member states with a solution for traceability of tobacco products that is in final stage of implementation. Testing results will represent the ground point for developing and establishing the PAT processes of the entire industry in the EU market. Pursuant the EU Directive, traceability systems for tobacco products should be introduced in EU Member States by May 20, 2019.
AKD's solution allows the issuance of unique codes that are the basis for establishing the traceability system for tobacco products. Moreover, it enables the registration of users, facilities and machines used in production, management of the lifespan of generated codes and integration with manufacturers' internal business systems. The solution will be tested in production facilities, but since distributors and wholesalers will also be involved in the functional testing this will make it possible to test this solution in real life conditions.
"In AKD we are very pleased to have the opportunity to participate in such a significant project. By developing a unique solution that meets the complex requirements of the EU Directive as well as manufacturing processes of the industry, we demonstrated that we have the capacity to implement the most demanding technological projects. The project results will be taken into consideration as good practice within the EU and they will serve as guidelines for all stakeholders in the tobacco industry" said Jure Sertić, CEO and General Manager of AKD.