Zebra and Merck develop mobile solution for product safety and traceability
Innovative Web 3.0, crypto, and mobile computing technologies for secure supply chains, counterfeit protection, and reliable data for AI systems
Zebra Technologies (NASDAQ: ZBRA), a global leader in solutions for digitizing and automating workflows, and Merck, a leading science and technology company, have announced a strategic collaboration. Together, they are developing technologies that enable companies to take product safety, authenticity and traceability in complex supply chains to a new level.
At the heart of the collaboration is Merck's M-Trust™, the first cyber-physical trust platform with a mobile scanning solution. It addresses the growing challenges in the fight against product counterfeiting, traceability, and the provision of high-quality, trustworthy data for AI systems.
M-Trust – First cyber-physical digital trust platform for greater product safety
Merck unveiled M-Trust at CES in January 2025. The platform is the first cyber-physical solution that links physical products to their digital identities in a tamper-proof manner.
M-Trust was developed to help companies ensure product authenticity, traceability throughout the supply chain, and the digitization of quality control processes.
Core features of M-Trust:
Crypto-anchor technologies connect physical products with digital twins, creating a unique, immutable identity.
Machine-to-machine (M2M) processes replace manual quality controls with automated, precise digital workflows.
Embedding of smart contracts that automatically verify data and trigger agreements within the value chain.
Web 3.0 technology that enables flexible adaptation to new legal requirements such as the EU Digital Product Passport.
"M-Trust™ is the first cyber-physical platform for digital trust available on the market," explains Laura Matz, Chief Science & Technology Officer at Merck. "It enables companies to take transparency and security in the supply chain to a whole new level, while opening up new digital business models."
The M-Trust portfolio includes both software and hardware and is designed as a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS). It integrates seamlessly into existing workflows and provides companies with a future-proof tool for quality assurance and compliance.
Mobile innovation for secure supply chains
Zebra Technologies brings many years of experience in mobile computing, identification, and track & trace technologies to the table. Merck contributes its patented authentication methods. The goal is to connect physical products to the virtual world via a secure digital twin – the basis for modern Industry 4.0 processes.
"By combining our expertise in identification and authentication, we will offer companies solutions that enable secure and reliable data access across all stages of the supply chain," explains Thomas Endress, Head of M-Trust™ at Merck. "This not only strengthens product safety and compliance, but also builds trust in AI systems that rely on this data."
New handheld scanner as first result
One of the first results of the collaboration is a mobile handheld scanner. The prototype combines Zebra's TC58 mobile computer with Merck's SEC reader, a detector for security pigments.
Direct integration with M-Trust: Product authenticity is verified in real time and data is synchronized via Wi-Fi 6E or 5G.
All-in-one design: 1D/2D barcode scanner, integrated radio device, and 16 MP camera in one device.
Web 3.0 technology: Future-proof platform that flexibly adapts to regulatory requirements such as the EU Digital Product Passport.
"We are very excited to be working with Merck on this groundbreaking initiative," said James Poulton, senior vice president and general manager of Enterprise Mobile Computing at Zebra Technologies. "With our joint solutions, we are helping companies position themselves as Industry 4.0 leaders with connected factories and supply chains."
Presentation at the WIoT tomorrow Expo 2025
The functional prototype of the new scanner with M-Trust connectivity and crypto anchor technology will be presented on October 22 and 23, 2025, at the WIoT tomorrow Expo at booth L4-07. Zebra's team of experts will be on hand for technical discussions.
Summary of key facts
Combination of mobile computing, identification technologies and Web 3.0 cryptography for greater product security and data integrity.
Merck's M-Trust platform becomes mobile and scalable with Zebra hardware.
