FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The RFID Research Center at the University of Arkansas has announced that the Monsanto Co. and Northrop Grumman Corp. have joined its advisory board.

The center, which studies the use of radio frequency identification, is housed in the Information Technology Research Institute in the Sam M. Walton College of Business.

“These companies are great additions to the RFID Research Center as they represent new industries and new perspectives on the use of RFID in their respective fields,” said Bill Hardgrave, director of the RFID Research Center.

The Monsanto Co., based at St. Louis, Mo., is represented on the center board by Lynn Pias, global manufacturing information technology lead, and William H. Schulz, global supply chain optimization/analytics lead. Monsanto (NYSE: MON) is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality.

Schulz said, “Monsanto is supporting the RFID Research Center as a way of connecting with state-of-art RFID technology and to share experiences with other companies. We are interested in this technology as a way to improve the efficiency of our supply chain and as an opportunity to better serve our customers.”

Northrop Grumman Corp., based at Los Angeles, Calif., is represented by George N. Bullen, principle engineer, Advanced Technology and Research Integrated Systems, Western Region. Northrop Grumman (NYSE&PSE: NOC) is a $30 billion global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.

Bullen said, “Northrop Grumman has recognized RFID as one of the discriminating technologies for competing in the defense industry. It is an enabler for lean manufacturing, supply chain management, asset and property accountability, foreign object elimination and control of time-sensitive materials. The RFID Research Center will provide third-party access to objective testing, exposure to mature retail applications, and experiences that will allow us to participate in the shaping of processes and procedures for the effective application of RFID technology in our defense-related industry.”

Hardgrave, who is also a professor and holder of the Edwin and Karlee Bradberry Chair, said, “We are continually seeking ways to help businesses find the business value in the use of RFID and other RF technologies so we are very pleased to have Monsanto and Northrop Grumman be a part of our advisory board.”

The RFID Research Center officially opened its laboratory in the Fayetteville Industrial Park in June 2005. It currently has 45 business and industry sponsors and several academic collaborators. The facility, strategically positioned in the epicenter of retail RFID activity, primarily conducts research on the most efficient use of RFID and other wireless and sensor technologies throughout the supply chain, with special interest on the retail supply chain.

In September 2005, the laboratory became the first academic EPC/RFID research laboratory worldwide to receive the EPCglobal Performance Test Center accreditation. EPCglobal Inc. is a global not-for-profit standards organization commercializing the Electronic Product CodeT and RFID worldwide.

In 2007, the University of Arkansas RFID Research Center - along with research centers in Germany and Italy - founded the Global RF Lab Alliance, a confederation of radio frequency-focused laboratories from around the globe. The alliance’s objective is to provide a mechanism for communication and research collaboration among the radio-frequency labs. It recently established an academic journal, International Journal of RF Technologies: Research and Applications.

For more information on the RFID Research Center, go to: http://itri.uark.edu/rfid