The annual Regional Banknote and ID Document of the Year Awards, a highlight of the High Security Printing ™ Asia Conference, took place in Bangkok, Thailand on 3 December. This prestigious event brought together industry leaders to celebrate exceptional achievements in design, security, and technological innovation across identity systems and banknotes.

Dr Joseph Atick is renowned for his pioneering work in the field of biometric identification, particularly in facial recognition technology. He is considered one of the founding figures in the development of biometric systems and has contributed significantly to making biometric identification widely accessible and usable.

The secure identity industry continues to witness significant consolidation as key industry players announce acquisitions to strengthen their portfolios and expand their offerings.

Toppan Holdings has announced a definitive agreement to acquire the Citizen Identity Solutions division of HID Global from Assa Abloy, marking a significant move in the global identity solutions market.

In a landmark move, IDEMIA Group has announced its entry into exclusive negotiations with IN Groupe for the acquisition of IDEMIA Smart Identity.

Singapore-based telecom giant Singtel has launched the country’s first quantum-safe network, a significant move to secure identity and authentication platforms against emerging quantum computing threats.

Previously, in ID & Secure Document News™, I have written about the demise of the paper visa in favour of electronic versions that offer greater convenience and functionality over their physical counterparts (see IDN March 2024). In this editorial I will look at another application where digital is rapidly replacing physical.

In an EU-funded research project, a broad consortium of developers and researchers has laid the foundations for the smart border management of the future. Combining the highest security standards with convenient travel, the D4FLY project, led by Veridos, focuses on new solutions for identity and document verification, including AI and biometrics.

By his own admission, Renaud Laffont-Leenhardt, Product Line Director for Travel Documents at Thales, will have long retired by 2044, but that didn’t stop him from presenting a compelling vision for travel documents at the recent ODDS conference.

Latin America (LatAm) boasts a rich tapestry of cultures, landscapes, and identities, intricately woven into the fabric of each nation. At the heart of this diversity lies the passport, a symbolic gateway that not only facilitates travel but also embodies the essence of sovereignty and citizenship.