2025 Review - First Time in Switzerland – Why Did it Take so Long!
The 2025 edition of the High Security Printing™ EMEA conference was located, for the first time in its history, in Switzerland, in the picturesque city of Basel. The experience for the 265 delegates, from 117 organisations spanning 44 countries did not disappoint, as was evidenced by the overwhelmingly positive feedback from the survey at the conclusion of the 3-day event (3 – 5 February).
Switzerland, known for its banking integrity, innovation, and engineering excellence, provided an ideal setting. Opening addresses from the Swiss National Bank (SNB) and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) acknowledged the country’s leading role in the ID and banknote security industry.
Conference Overview
The event kicked off with masterclasses addressing two pressing industry challenges:
- AI’s impact on identity documents
- Optimising the cash cycle in an evolving payment landscape
Across two conference days, nearly 40 presentations were delivered in six focused sessions, equally split between currency and identity security. Key topics included:
- Banknote and ID document developments
- Authentication and security measures
- Sustainability and anti-counterfeiting strategies
- Regional security trends
Currency Highlights
Swiss Banknotes and Innovations – Beat Grossenbacher (SNB) discussed Switzerland’s new banknote series, “Switzerland and its Altitudes”, currently in design and expected no earlier than 2030.
Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions (KBBS) presented innovations in banknote production, including selective intaglio, the AKTINA production approach, and a new foiler developed with Gietz.
SICPA highlighted intaglio printing’s enduring importance, covering its role in tactility, durability, and security, and introduced CUPSIA intaglio, a hybrid digital-physical security feature.
Global Developments in Banknote Design
- PWPW unveiled its ‘MEADOW’ specimen notes, featuring registered threads that match the background artwork’s colours (e.g., brown for soil, green for plants, red for flowers).
- Kenya’s upgraded banknote series, designed by G+D, featured vibrant colours and enhanced security, enabled by recent constitutional changes. The project took just six months from design to production.
- Komori discussed cultural influences on banknote security, contrasting Western vs. Asian approaches and emphasising its Kando culture – exceeding expectations.
- Jura broke down the six stages of banknote design, introducing the new Puskás house note, developed with KURZ, KBBS, Hungarian Banknote & DIPA.
- Banco de España’s Miguel Lopez provided insights on Neurocash®, an AI tool for cash cycle optimisation.
- Bundesdruckerei’s Adrian Heuberger-Lewerenz explored banknote design as an art form, highlighting holistic design principles.
Sustainability in Banknote Production
- Orell Füssli (OFS) introduced BEES® (Banknote Environmental Evaluation Software), which assesses 17 environmental impact factors to help central banks integrate sustainability into banknote security and cost considerations.
- Hueck Folien outlined its goal to achieve a fully ecological product by 2035, having already cut CO2 emissions by 13% and pioneered recycled aluminium supply chains.
- Hunkeler presented new solutions for banknote destruction, focusing on material separation and energy-efficient processes.
- The European Central Bank (ECB) announced the design process for its third euro banknote series, set to be unveiled in 2026 with themes including European Culture, Cultural Spaces, Rivers, and Birds.
Regional Developments in ID Documents
- Austria’s new passport follows the ‘Security-By-Design’ principle, featuring eight bearer images for enhanced authentication.
- The Netherlands launched its next-gen ID card and passport, following extensive research into security optimisation.
- The European Digital Identity (EUDI) Framework aims to provide EU citizens with a digital wallet by 2026, featuring secure authentication and a Qualified Electronic Signature.
- Ghana’s National ID system, relaunched in 2017, now plays a vital role in anti-money laundering enforcement.
- Iraq’s digital transformation was showcased, with over 40 million eIDs issued by 2025.
Security Features & Fraud Prevention
- Entrust’s Identity Fraud Report 2025 revealed a 244% increase in digital forgeries, now surpassing physical counterfeits. Recommendations include device intelligence, biometric verification, and video-based authentication.
- Digimarc introduced mobile authentication solutions, integrating print security with digital detection.
- Veridos explored future-proofing mobile ID adoption, ensuring privacy, security, and cross-border functionality.
- OVD Kinegram and SICPA emphasised the continued importance of physical security features in an increasingly digital landscape.
Technology & Innovation – New Security Technologies
- KBBS launched “Cash for Good”, an educational initiative to promote financial literacy in regions where digital banking is still limited.
- IOTA (formerly IHMA) rebranded and expanded to support 13 classes of optically active security features.
- Carveco showcased AI-driven embossing software, enhancing banknote and document design.
- Security Fibres & University of Manchester revealed a UV-reactive chemical that fluoresces for a limited period even after UV exposure stops.
Regional Awards & Future Events
HSP EMEA Regional Awards
Another conference highlight was the presentation of the regional HSP EMEA awards, which were presented at the gala dinner in the traditional Safran Zunft restaurant in the heart of Basel’s charming Old Town.
There were three categories for the Banknote Awards – Best New Banknote, Best New Series and Best New Commemorative Banknote – with the UAE, Kenya and Eswatini sharing the honours respectively. In addition, HSP EMEA is host to the annual Best House Note Award – which went jointly to Hueck Folien and the Printing Works of the Bulgarian National Bank, along with Oberthur Fiduciaire for the Best House Note Series.
For the ID awards, there were also three categories – Best New Passport, Best New National ID Card and Best New Series. This year, the UAE, Bulgaria, Finland and the Netherlands were all winners, two of them joint.
More than 50 delegates stayed an extra day at the conference to attend the co-hosted tour of the headquarters of the two aforementioned powerhouses of the industry – Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions and SICPA.
After a poll held amongst the participants, the next HSP EMEA will be held 2-4 March in either Namibia or Kenya. In the meantime, the sister event HSP Latin America will be taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 9-11 June, and HSP Asia from 1-3 December in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
It is amazing, with several innovative discussions covering the most relevant topics. Specifically, highlighting priority for sustainability and new technology.
The conference was a resounding success. The speakers were engaging and informative with the topics covered both timely and relevant. The conference exceeded my expectations
Inspiring sessions and speakers. Good to get to know about the latest inventions in the field
Gallery
Conference
Seminars
Exhibition
Social Events & Awards
Tour
Video
Great conference and interesting new developments. The speakers were excellent.
This year’s conference provided valuable insights and networking opportunities. Participating allowed us to gain new knowledge, exchange ideas with professionals in the field and expand my professional network.
Super! What more can I say after so many years being out of these events. The engagements were thought provoking and of great quality.
Attendees
It is aways a pleasure to be at HSP EMEA. The high security printing takeaways are worth the resources invested in attending.
It was a pleasure to be part of this forum. We made some great connections.
It was an amazing experience. The presentations were interesting, and the organisation of the event is wonderful.
Programme
Monday 3 February 2025
09:00 – 12:30 Identity – Impact of AI in Identity Documents
Michael Van Gestel & Simon Horswell, Entrust
AI-powered technologies help solve complex problems and make our daily lives easier and more convenient. While this is true for legitimate business, it is also true for fraud.
Computer programs trained to produce works of art or write news stories could replace the work of human artists and journalists. In the same way, these tools are rapidly replacing traditional forgery techniques and putting sophisticated fraud in the hands of less skilled fraudsters.
In this seminar, we will look at case studies of AI-assisted document fraud from remote IDV (Identity Document Verification) and ask what we can do to combat this very real threat in an increasingly virtual world.
13:30 – 17:00 Currency – Optimising the Cash Cycle in a Changing Payment Environment
While the use of digital payments, including mobile phone payments, is increasing fast across the EMEA region, the overall use of cash remains high and it continues to be a vital payment instrument. However, the world is changing and there are significant opportunities to manage cash differently, in particular through local recycling and recirculation, i.e. closest to where the cash is needed and used.
The use of machinery to issue and deposit cash is increasing at every point in the cash cycle. The ability to capture, store, share and analyse data is being revolutionised. Standardisation of packaging, reporting and data is driving efficiency. Business models are not standing still. Sustainability is on the agenda. All of this feeds into the opportunities to handle cash closer to the customer, reducing costs, increasing efficiencies and resilience and promoting sustainability.
This seminar is based on a new white paper – Cash Recirculation and Local Recycling: from Policy to Practice – and brings together a range of stakeholders to discuss the challenges and opportunities, with real-life examples of how new models of cash distribution can enhance more universal and cost-effective access to and acceptance of cash.
18:30 Welcome Reception & Exhibition Opening
Tuesday 4 February 2025
Underlined text on the programme is interactive, click for the abstract or biography popup.
Currency and Identity Documents in EMEA
09:00
Welcome Address
Beat Grossenbacher
Swiss National Bank (Switzerland)
Daniel Eidan
Bank for International Settlements (BIS) (Switzerland)
09:20
Passport Fraud Trends 2025
Joachim Caillosse
Secure Identity Alliance (EU)
09:40
EMEA Identity Landscape
Francis Tuffy
Reconnaissance International (UK)
10:00
Modern Banknote Production
Sébastien Dufey
Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions (Switzerland)
10:20 Session Q&A
10:35 Break and Exhibition Viewing
Currency Developments
11:30
Intaglio Inks: The Backbone of Secure, Efficient, Durable, and Sustainable Banknotes
Michael Hans
SICPA (Switzerland)
Olivier Lefebvre
SICPA (Switzerland)
11:50
Currency Landscape & Launch of DataVault
John Winchcombe
Reconnaissance International (UK)
12:10
New Housenote – The Story from the MEADOW. Combining Security, Aesthetics, and Ecology in Note Design.
Radosław Śliwa
Polish Security Printing Works (PWPW) (Poland)
12:30
Kenya’s Upgraded Banknote Series
Evans Muttai
Central Bank of Kenya (Kenya)
12:50 Session Q&A
| Developments in Identity Documents |
11:30
The New Austrian Passport: Giving Identity to a Passport
Herbert Meixner
Austrian State Printing House (OeSD) (Austria)
11:50
Introducing the Next Generation of Dutch eID Documents
Ewout Rensen
IDEMIA Smart Identity (Netherlands)
Renée Ong de Jong
Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (Netherlands)
12:10
The European Digital Identity Framework – Vision vs. Reality
Franziska Granc
Nimbus Technologieberatung (Germany)
12:30
How Using Biometrics Contributes to More Secure Travel and Identity Documents
Richard Perera
Landqart (Switzerland)
12:50 Session Q&A
13:05 Lunch
Design and Production
14:30
Unique in Design Manufacturing
Phil Holland
Komori Corporation (Japan)
14:50
Designing Banknotes Today
Barna Barabás
Jura (Austria)
15:10
Neurocash®: An AI Tool for the Cash Cycle
Miguel López
Banco de España (Spain)
15:30
When Leaving is Returning
Dr. Adrian Heuberger-Lewerenz
Bundesdruckerei (Germany)
15:50 Session Q&A
New Products and Applications
14:30
Who Stole the Honey — an Intuitive and Self-Explanatory Design Integration of Government Exclusive, Independent, High Security Technologies
Axel Vonderhagen
OVD Kinegram (Switzerland)
14:50
21 Cards for Finland – HID’s Largest Ever Identity Document Design Project. An Incredible Journey of Collaboration, Innovation, and Precision
Lynsey Harris
HID (UK)
15:10
Iraqi New eID Card
Sonya Dsouza
Veridos (Germany)
15:30
Simple but Sophisticated: Large nanoDOVIDs for Polycarbonate Documents
Robert Dvorak
IQ Structures (Czech Republic)
15:50 Session Q&A
16:05 Extended Exhibition Viewing
18:30 Conference Dinner and Presentation of Regional Banknote and ID Awards
Wednesday 5 February 2025
Sustainability and the Environment
09:00
Modelling the Environmental Impact of Banknotes with BEES®
Karim Shoukry
Orell Füssli Security Printing (Switzerland)
09:20
High Precision Security Features Based on Recycling Materials
Michael Ritschewald
Hueck Folien (Austria)
09:40
Compact and Sustainable Disposal Solutions for Banknotes
Erich Hodel
Hunkeler Systeme (Switzerland)
10:00
Navigating the Complexities of Eco-design in Currency Innovation
Antonio Arrieta
European Central Bank (Germany)
10:20 Session Q&A
Physical and Digital ID
09:00
Foundational Identity in a Connected World
Stephan D. Hofstetter
SECOIA Executive Consultants (Switzerland)
09:20
Futureproofing and Overcoming Adoption Challenges with Mobile IDs
Nick Larter
Veridos (Germany)
09:40
Imagine a World Where you can Issue both a Physical Paper and its Digital Counterpart Simultaneously—in a Fully Interoperable Format!
Heath Taylor
SICPA (Switzerland)
10:00
Enabling all-in-one Secure Citizen ID Document Concepts via Specialty Films.
Georgios Tziovaras
Covestro (Germany)
10:20 Session Q&A
10:35 Break and Exhibition Viewing
Security Features
11:30
The Art of Real Life in Banknotes
Will Stamper
Oberthur Fiduciaire (France)
11:50
Magneto-Optical Technology for Banknote Examination
Inga Voronko
Regula (Latvia)
12:10
The Agile KINEGRAM® – Make a Move with KURZ
Ian Smith
Leonhard Kurz (Germany)
12:30 Session Q&A
Security and Anticounterfeiting
11:30
Leveraging Ghana’s National ID Card as a Tool for Anti-money Laundering Activities
Emmanuel Kpakpo Brown
National Identification Authority (Ghana)
11:50
The Vital Role That Color Theory and Analysis Play in High Security Printing
Hillary Hoover
HSI Forensic Laboratory (United States of America)
Kristen Welch
HSI Forensic Laboratory (United States of America)
12:10
Fraud Insights; Identity Fraud Report 2025
Simon Horswell
Entrust (UK)
12:30
Combating Counterfeits and Fraud: Advanced Digital Security Solutions for Government and High-End Commercial Brand Protection Programs
Judy Moon
Digimarc Corporation (USA)
12:50 Session Q&A
13:05 Lunch
Technology and Innovation
14:15
Harnessing AI for Precision and Creativity – The Next Frontier in Currency and Secure Document Design.
Robert Newman
Carveco (UK)
14:35
What’s Next for Optically Variable Features
Mark Deakes
International Optical Technologies Association (IOTA) (UK)
14:55
BeeSmart
Mark Stevenson
Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions (Switzerland)
15:15
Colour-Changing Smart Materials for Rapid Authentication: From Academia to Application
Dr Alexander Brannan
University of Manchester (United Kingdom)
Gary Spinks
Security Fibres (UK)
15:35 Session Q&A
15:50 Closing Remarks
16:00 Farewell Drinks & Exhibition Closing
It was a very interesting conference with stunning novelties and nice presentations. I am looking forward to the next one.
Informative, tailored for the needs of all stakeholders. Presenting innovations, solutions and vision for future opportunities and challenges.
It is always good to meet colleagues around EMEA region to exchange knowledge and experience. The conference was interesting, as always especially mobile ID and EUD wallet topics.
Sponsors
Thank you to our 2025 Sponsors and Exhibitors
Koenig & Bauer AG
Orell Füssli Security Printing
IDEMIA Smart Identity
IQ Structures / Hueck Folien
Komori Corporation
Landqart
OVD Kinegram / KURZ
Security Fibres Ltd
SICPA
Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP)
Hungarian Banknote Printing Company
Jura / PARVIS
Luminescence Sun Chemical Security
Oberthur Fiduciaire
Veridos
Angstrom Technologies
Applied Laser Engineering
ART-Line / MELZER
Covestro
Heidelberg Instruments
Hunkeler Systeme
MaskTech
Pro Gravur / 4PLATE
Schwarz Druck
SisTrade
Stardust Secured
Zeiser