Q&A: Welcoming our new Technical Committee Chair, Marc Lajon

We are delighted to announce that Marc Lajon has been appointed Chair of the Technical Committee. He has played an active role within NFC Forum for several years and brings more than 30 years’ experience in software engineering to his new position.

The Technical Committee coordinates the efforts of the three NFC Forum Technical Working Groups –Analog and Digital, Devices and Applications, and Security – which create and maintain NFC Forum technical specifications.

We spoke with Marc about his background, priorities as Chair, and how he sees the Technical Committee evolving.

Q: How long have you been engaged with NFC Forum, and what drew you to the role of Technical Committee Chair?

My involvement with the NFC Forum predates my formal engagement through my roles across the various Working Group and Committees. At NXP, I worked on NFC chip certification and its preparation, including collaborating with test tool providers and providing support for their validation. This gave me a hands‑on understanding of how NFC specifications translate into real, qualified products.

I was elected Chair of the Requirements and Policy Working Group in November 2022 and Vice Chair of the Technical Committee in September 2024. When the role of Chair became vacant, stepping into the role felt like a natural progression and an opportunity to build upon the important work that I had done with my predecessor, Teuvo Jarvela.

On a more personal note, I am an oboist and play sacred and classical music, where everything starts with a written score but still requires careful listening and adaptation. That experience influences how I think about structure, coordination and how to bring different elements together effectively – all of which feed into my role as Technical Committee Chair.

Q: NFC Forum recently released its updated Technology Roadmap. Which elements are you most excited about?

What I appreciate most, from the Technical Committee’s perspective, is that the roadmap provides a clear, shared direction for the NFC ecosystem. It gives the NFC Forum Working Groups a common framework, enabling alignment on priorities and organizing their work more effectively. Specifications are already being developed, turning the roadmap’s vision into reality.

Q: What role does the NFC Forum Technical Committee play in the broader technology ecosystem?

Adoption has accelerated over the past several years, expanding beyond payments into areas like access control, transportation, digital keys, product authentication, and wireless charging. NFC is largely invisible to users: they simply want it to work.

Helping to deliver this seamless, ‘work-first-time’ user experience across devices and platforms is where the Technical Committee adds the most value, ensuring trust in NFC technology and instilling confidence across the broader ecosystem.

In parallel, the Technical Committee works closely with the NFC Forum liaison partners – including other industry associations and standards bodies – to promote complementary standards.

Q: In your opinion, why do standards still play such an important role within the ecosystem?

Standards ensure consistent behaviour across all implementations of NFC Forum technologies, which is fundamental for both user trust and companies deploying products at scale They allow organizations to innovate independently while remaining aligned within a shared ecosystem.

The recent IEC adoption of the NFC Forum Wireless Charging and NDEF Technical Specifications demonstrates the maturity and global relevance of NFC Forum standards. By providing a stable technical foundation, standards allow innovation to focus on new use cases, creating a virtuous cycle where increased adoption feeds innovation which drives the need for new standards.

Q: How do you see the work of the Technical Committee evolving in the future?

Looking ahead, the Technical Committee will remain focused on implementing roadmap initiatives with high-quality technical specifications.

To support the timely implementation of specifications, I will ensure early engagement with the Compliance Committee once specifications reach a stable state, allowing certification requirements to evolve in parallel, minimizing the time between specification release and certified products.

Download the Technology Roadmap

Visit the NFC Forum website to download the Technology Roadmap.