Counterfeit medicines are a serious and fast expanding threat for the customer’s health and the pharmaceutical manufacturers business. The aim of this research collaboration is to add anti-counterfeiting and track & trace technology to the product level that goes beyond the state-of-the-art security approach on the packaging level. The project SAVEmed will bring a solution for the counterfeit and the illegal re-import problem in the medical product market, thereby ensuring product pedigree and defend illegal re-packing.In SAVEmed project the direct marking of medical products with secure microstructures will be realised by modifying the tools used to manufacture the products as well as the ones used for their packages on the micron– and sub-micron level. The project aim is to transfer diffractive gratings, random microstructures, micro-barcodes and contrast generating micro-prisms in steel tools. Moreover, algorithm enabling cross checking of the secure microstructures on the product (even through coatings) and on the package will be developed to ensure the highest level of security possible. In SAVEmed this direct product marking approach will be realised for pharmaceutical tablets, injection moulded pharma caps and laminated sterile pouches. Nevertheless the approach is applicable to nearly all other types of medical products.The strategies of criminal organisations will be analysed and the development will be adapted to counteract these strategies. Key advantage of the implementation of secure microstructures directly in or on the medical product itself is that no chemical or biological additives and that no costly changes of production lines are needed. Thus no additional approvals from regulatory agencies are requested.This project will ensure a correct balance of market-pull and technological push by including major actors in anti-counterfeit technology research, 3 SMEs, 2 large industries and pre-assembled end-users External Advisory Board.