SMX (Security Matters) PLC has announced that it finalized a solution to track and report the ethical sourcing of ores and can demonstrate a market-leading verification process for premium steel products spanning virgin and recycled steel. SMX's technology would enabled customers to demonstrate with accurate data embedded within their steel products that they can track, authenticate and report origination and amount of recycled content in steel products, in an enhanced and compliant manner across their operations. objectives & Success criteria: To implement SMX's unique marking technology within IF steel by embedding the technology within IF steel slabs (raw material) during the melting stage at the authorized facility for authentication of the steel's origin.

To detect SMX's marking systems within the IF steel after each process stage from casting to galvanization. To ensure the durability of SMX's marking system after each stage of the manufacturing process and provide traceability of the IF steel during its production process while maintaining IF steel properties. To demonstrate that SMX's marking system embedded within steel does not affect the material or the mechanical properties of the material and final product.

Outcomes: SMX successfully implemented its marking system across several batches of the steel slabs at the melting stage and was able to differentiate marked from unmarked steel material, providing authentication of the steel's origin; SMX's marking system was successfully detected throughout the steel production process from melting, casting, hot & cold rolling, annealing to galvanization, demonstrating its durability and traceability functionality. This was confirmed during blind testing where 100% of all samples were read successfully. SMX's marking system was confirmed to deliver the results while ensuring all the mechanical and material properties remained intact covering tensile strength, microstructure, hardness, grain size, and adherence.

SMX demonstrated consistently its capability to implement its marking system within the production process and report in a nondestructive manner accurate data from raw material to final product, thereby enabling complete traceability and authenticity.