Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 27 | Page 50

COUNTRY FOCUS: GERMANY As Germany is at the forefront of the European technology industry, it might come as no surprise when we reveal that Munich Airport, one of the busiest in Europe, is becoming a breeding ground for innovation. We hear how companies such as Wirecard and LabCampus are helping it to dominate. ///////////////// Munich Airport: A hub of digitisation M unich Airport is the first airport in Europe to offer a new mobile, cashless payment system in a retail location. The airport is playing a key role in driving forward easy payments in the retail sector with a self-checkout. The solution was developed by Wirecard in cooperation with SES-imagotag and wirecube, while eurotrade – a subsidiary of Flughafen München GmbH – laid the cornerstone for its introduction at the airport. Consumers can pay for items with their own smartphone directly at the shelf using an electronic price tag which saves them having to wait in line at the checkout. Instead of paying via an app, the customer pays via a mobile website, meaning that, unlike similar 50 INTELLIGENTCIO solutions in the European market, users do not need to download an app beforehand. To shop and add items to the shopping cart, customers simply hold their smartphone in front of an SES-imagotag digital price tag. The product is registered either via Near Field Communication (NFC) or by QR code scan. After a few seconds, the smartphone automatically opens the mobile web app by wirecube where the customer can easily complete the purchase. To do so, the customer can either scan their credit card via their smartphone’s camera function, or enter their credit card data manually. Alipay is also available as an alternative payment option. Munich Airport’s roughly 48 million annual passengers can now use the new mobile payment solution for a select range of products in the ‘MyCorner’ store in the Terminal 2 passenger area. The innovative solution is being piloted in a high-traffic area frequented by a mostly international audience. Following the pilot phase, the solution will be extended to other eurotrade units, including 12 duty-free shops and 14 other shops selling press items, travel goods and souvenirs. The application is based on three solutions: 1. The VUSION Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) by SES-imagotag, a world-leading provider of digital IoT solutions for stationary retail www.intelligentcio.com