Belgian Firms, Universities Work Together On NFC

University researchers in Belgium will work with payments companies to research Near Field Communication applications. The collaboration involves researchers from universities in Brussels, Gent and Leuven. It also involves three Belgium-based firms: Integri, a supplier of test tools and services for payments, ticketing and mobile applications; its parent, financial-technology company Clear2Pay; and Keyware, which sells electronic payment, loyalty and related services, according to a statement Integri released Tuesday. Participants plan to focus on NFC vouchers used for meals, gifts and coupons. Dozens of NFC tests have taken place around the world, but the technology, which essentially turns mobile phones into contactless payment and ticketing devices, has seen no large-scale rollouts.