The number of smart cards in circulation is set to decrease in the next few years, but the functionality on those in use will grow. At least that is the opinion of Intellect Holdings Ltd, an Australian developer of smart cards. The company states that 1.2 billion smart cards were shipped across the world last year, and 75% of them were payment related devices such as phone cards, and other single applications. But that is set to change – the smart card market is soon to adopt more multi application cards. However, the company, which has a reasonable presence in Australia and the US, has recognized that Europe is still very much leading the way when it comes to multi-function smart card adoption. There are 948 million smart cards in circulation in Europe, compared to 56 million in the Asia Pacific region and 22 million in the US. Meanwhile, French smart card giant, Gemplus SA is set to invest $50m in smart card development in Singapore, India and China. The company is spending $20m on a new smart card manufacturing facility in Singapore, which will produce 40 million cards a year when it is up to full strength. It will invest $20m over the next three years in research and development in India which will include the building of a manufacturing plant by the end of next year. It will spend $10m adding four additional production lines to its manufacturing plants in Tianjin and Zhuhai in China.
