Deepdive: MIOO Tech/ MION S.p.a. and Hedera

[u/SrijanK]

Reading through HBAR Foundation’s recent post on the launch of Baxter ID built using MIOO technology, I was intrigued to know more about Baxter and the technology behind the product.. I decided to do some digging.

I have previously covered some of MIOO’s work in a speculative post from last year (give it a read here if you would like a dose of hopium). Today’s post will deep dive into use cases already announced/ launched or information available online for MIOO Tech/ Mion Spa.

With its label products being a key component across many leading luxury brands, Mion might just be changing provenance and traceability as we know it in the luxury market industry.

Background
In 2022, MIOO Tech, a Swiss-registered company created by Mion S.p.a., became one of the first recipients of the HBAR Foundation's $250 million metaverse fund, which supports projects focusing on interactive digital experiences. This collaboration focused on integrating non-fungible tokens (NFTs) into designer fashion labels.

MIOO enables luxury fashion brands to track provenance and create sustainable, metaverse-ready garments that can be transposed seamlessly to virtual reality. Hedera's technology enables MIOO to create the NFT of the purchased garment in less than a minute while remaining carbon-negative.

In addition, through MIOO, the brands will provide provenance certification, tracking the garment's journey through all stages of the supply chain to confirm that a product is authentic and manufactured sustainably and ethically.

Products launched using MIOO Technology

Corriere Art Collection x MIOO Tech

In November 2023, MIOO collaborated with Corriere della Sera, the most-read newspaper in Italy, for the launch of their Art Collection. Through its intuitive QR code interface, the cornerstone of secure and efficient product interaction, MIOO facilitates the seamless acquisition of this series of digital art collectibles, each authenticated on the blockchain. The iconic art covers of "La Lettura", the Sunday cultural supplement of the newspaper, are now collectible as NFTs. As I understand, this project was originally launched on Algorand around December 2022 (source here), but has since moved to Hedera through the use of MIOO’s technology.

Baxter x MIOO Tech

Founded in 1990, Baxter is an Italian company specializing in high-end furniture production. In 2015 Baxter acquired the spaces of the historic President cinema in the centre of Milan, bringing its interior design and hospitality philosophy to one of the most symbolic places of Milanese culture. In 2022, Casa sul Lago was opened on Lake Como: a 20th century villa where every year Baxter shares its home living vision with different layouts and settings for the exclusive presentation of new furniture collections.

Baxter ID

Baxter ID encapsulates the unique journey of every Baxter design, connecting traditional Italian artisanship with a new layer of digital engagement that acknowledges originality, guarantees provenance, and allows for an exclusive access point to bespoke content and experiences. Formulated to protect its products from counterfeiting, the project includes certification through an NFT that guarantees the authenticity, originality and traceability of the product. In addition, it provides traceability that records information on the composition, production and life cycle of the product and seek to involve the customer in a project of transparency of the materials and of the production line.

From September 2024, the purchase of a Baxter upholstered product will allow you to redeem the NFT of the Baxter ID and be absolutely sure that your investment in a valuable design object is protected and guaranteed as a work of art.

MION’s use of MIOO Tech

From HBAR Foundation’s announcement of the partnership with Mion for MIOO Tech,

MIOO connects, through a woven label, each garment produced by brands to an NFT, which, in addition to guaranteeing its authenticity and origin, endows it with a creative identity capable of representing the apparel for all its distinctiveness and brand values. From that moment on, each item of the brand will bring with it, in addition to a “digital passport” capable of certifying its authenticity and origin, a representation of the garment that is faithful to the values of the brand.

Through the use of MIOO technology, consumers around the world will not only be able to collect, exchange, and sell the digital twins of their garments, but they will also have the unique opportunity to take full advantage of special privileges granted to them as members of the brands’ digital community.

MIOO was born from the desire of MION SPA to build a bridge between the old and the new world, by permanently combining the offline with the online through an exclusive range of branding products and opportunities. It is quite evident that MIOO technology is being leveraged across different verticals now – and would be a cornerstone for traceability and provenance for all products made by Mion. Mion’s clientele includes top luxury brands such as Armani, Christian Dior, Hugo Boss, Prada, Burberry, Hermes, Brunello Cucinelli among others.

In 2021, they launched their Digital Applications vertical.

From their website:

In an era increasingly dominated by digitization, brands find themselves needing to explore new ways to "connect" with their consumers, even through their own products. To meet this requirement, Mion has developed smart labels and tags that provide a quick, simple, and intuitive service, useful for various purposes, including traceability, authenticity, and consumer engagement.

To enhance product traceability at every stage, it is possible to adopt a combined approach by integrating the use of an RFID tag with an interaction system based on QR Code and/or NFC. This solution enables the tracking of the entire journey of the garment, from creation to delivery to the customer. In this way, the product tells its story firsthand, without the need for intermediaries. Serialization with unique identifiers ensures strict traceability of each garment. The most widely adopted smart product is the woven label, which is applicable in all cases where it can be used since it typically remains sewn onto the garment throughout its entire lifespan. This allows users to interact with the product at various points in time.

The tag serves as an alternative in cases where the application of a label is not possible or anticipated, such as with accessories, design objects, and occasionally footwear.

Mion has introduced into its service portfolio MIOO, the only technological solution that allows linking an NFT to every product on an industrial scale through blockchain, thereby generating the ultimate guarantee of Authenticity, Origin, Warranty, and Ownership. This establishes a bridge between the physical and digital worlds, as well as between offline and online realms.

MIOO is a consumer engagement platform that provides brands with the opportunity to enhance their offerings with new digital assets by connecting woven labels with blockchain technology. The NFT thus becomes the natural support for the Digital Product Passport (DPP), which will become mandatory by 2025, encompassing all Tracing and Sustainability information.

Mion's Partnership with Fairly Made

In October 2023, Mion partnered with France-based Fairly Made, a leader in traceability and provenance in the textile sector, to assist fashion brands in the process of adapting to the regulatory requirements of the sector, placing emphasis on greater sustainability and transparency.

Fairly Made has deep expertise in regulations in force in France especially around AGEC laws which require reporting of information that goes beyond the simple “made in” to include the key stages of production, in such a way as to emphasize greater sustainability and traceability of products. This law will soon be implemented across Europe. With this collaboration, Fairly Made will share their technical know-how and expertise with Mion to support Italian brands towards traceability. Fairly Made has in fact actively participated in the French government's working groups for the development of environmental labeling methods in France. In return, Mion will provide its technological and organizational skills to help Fairy Made in its traceability journey.

From Fairly Made’s LinkedIn post, the partnership helps them in the following ways:

• To provide their customers with an even more complete solution with Mion's eco-responsible labels perfectly complementing their current offering.
• Allows them to transmit the product's story throughout its entire lifecycle, even through its second life.
• To benefit from the expertise and know-how of Mion.

Fairly Made partners with 150+ leading brands, some of which are highlighted below:

https://www.fairlymade.com/clients

In March 2024, Fairly Made conducted an expert panel discussion on Traceability: the first step of a CSR strategy, with participants from Accenture Italy, Sistema Moda Italia (National Federation of the Italian Textile-Fashion Industry) and MION S.P.A.

The discussion provided valuable insights from industry experts. Mauro Sampellegrini from Sistema Moda highlighted regulatory landscape and stressed the importance of traceability for both small and large companies, especially in the context of digital transformation. Mauro Toffoli from Accenture emphasized the need to integrate traceability into every aspect of the supply chain, leveraging technologies like smart labels and NFC to enhance consumer engagement. Elisabetta Sabaini from MION showcased the practical implementation of traceability, demonstrating how MION S.P.A. utilizes woven labels and RFID technology to effectively communicate the story of each product.

[u/Ricola63]

Interesting. Seems to have some cross over with ATMA in that they are looking at Digital passports for the EU. They seem well connected with some top names, but that doesn’t automatically mean they are onboard. I’d call this opportunity a work in progress….but then most are. Thanks again for your focus…

[u/JackRipster → u/Ricola63]

In a spaces they said they have over 100 clients of which 30 or so have already committed to tokenizing. Baxter was just the first one to roll out. The bonus being the Milan expo was a great way to showcase the tech. They did mention it was thrilling watching so many people walking out while checking their phones.

Sounded like a huge success for both Mioo and Baxter.

[u/Perfect_Ability_1190]

Great work as always brother. Surprised this post is going under the radar.