Swedish firm microchips employees

The microchips allow employees to scan into the building, share contact details with one another, and use the photocopier

An employee receives the chip (ITN)

A Swedish office block is offering to chip its employees in the latest technological advance.

Stockholm-based office complex Epicentre is offering all of its employees the chance to have an RFID, radio-frequency identification, under the skin of their hands.

The chips, roughly the size of a grain of rice, allow users to scan into their building, open doors, swap contact details and use the photocopier.

“It felt pretty scary but at the same time it felt very modern, very 2015,” one chipped employee told ITN.

Although only a small percentage of the 700 employees in the building have been chipped, creators hope that others will follow with the expansion of the use of the chips.

Co-founder and CEO of Epicenter Patrick Mesterton said: “Some of the future areas of use, I think, like anything where you today would use a pincode or key or card.

“Payment is one area or for healthcare reason. You can communicate with your doctor, and can get data on what you eat and your physical status,” he said.

The chips are the brainchild of Hannes Sjoblad, a Swedish bio-hacker who carries the title chief disruption officer with the organisation behind the chipping, who has been organising ‘implant parties’ where volunteers can be micro-chipped.

"I believe we have just started discovering the things we can do with this," Mr Sjoblad told the BBC last year.

He continued: "There is an ongoing explosion in the internet of things - the sensors will be all around for me to be able to register my activity in relation to them."

The organisers also believe that chipping at this early stage is vitally important.

"We want to be able to understand this technology before big corporates and big government come to us and say everyone should get chipped - the tax authority chip, the Google or Facebook chip," Mr Sjoblad adds.