Astrid Mitchell

Astrid Mitchell is Chief Executive of Reconnaissance International. After gaining a degree in politics at Durham University, Astrid began her career in the industry as a researcher and analyst in the M&A department of De La Rue in 1983. She subsequently worked in a variety of marketing positions for the company before joining Applied Holographics (now OpSec) as Marketing Director.

She then joined Security Printing Systems, the UK passport printer, and its parent, German banknote and passport printer Bundesdruckerei, working in marketing and the international expansion of its new business groups, including border management, biometrics and the Authenticare brand protection division.

She joined Reconnaissance in 2002, and was responsible for the inception and launch of Currency News in 2003, a joint venture publication that covers currency (banknotes and coins) from cradle to grave. She is the Editor of Currency News, and Managing Editor of its sister publication Cash & Payment News.

Astrid was also responsible for the company’s expansion into tax stamps and identity and is a regular contributor to Reconnaissance’s other monthly publications covering authentication, ID and secure documents, tax stamps and holography. She is also Conference Director for the biennial Coin Conference.

Her particular strengths are strategic development, business development, marketing and communications.

Evolution of the Security Image Register – The Next Generation

by Paul Dunn

Failure to understand the basic rights and ownership of copyright in a security hologram and its key function in the integrity of their use as a security product, can result in the inadvertent creation of counterfeit holograms, legal and costly battles over ownership and provide clear opportunities for counterfeiters. In awareness and support of this, the IHMA introduced the Hologram Image Register (HIR) which, for nearly 30 years, has provided an international secure registry of holographic images, to safeguard hologram copyright and underpin the use of holograms in authentication and security printing. Although over the years, the HIR has undergone several changes, by its name it has fundamentally remained a register for holographic security images. The evolution in security technologies today, has guided the IHMA to plan the expansion of the Image Register to include all optical technologies. This paper will discuss the changes in technologies and how the new Security Image Register will evolve to support the broad OVD technologies, applications and markets.

Paul Dunn

Paul Dunn received a PhD in Physics from the University of Birmingham in 1979 and was awarded a Nato Research Scholarship based in the USA at the Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, NY. Here he spent four years as a lecturer and researching into image processing and also taught Physics and Mathematics at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

In 1983 he returned to the UK to work as a consultant before joining Third Dimension as Technical Director, developing holograms and optical technologies for a variety of applications.

Paul joined Applied Holographics in 1988 developing the team and facilities forming the basis of all origination and optical developments. In 2000, Applied acquired OpSec Security and Paul developed his role as Director of Technology Innovation as the company evolved and his role focussed more towards R&D.

He has been involved in the Optical Security industry for over 34 years with an array of experience in teaching and technology development and holds an MBA. He has maintained a particular focus on the development of technologies for new optical features, origination technologies, product applications and materials for which he holds many patents and over 40 publications. In 2018 he received the Brian Monaghan Award for Business Innovation.

Paul retired from OpSec Security in 2022 to work as a consultant to the holographic and security industry. He is currently the Chairman of the International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA).

Holograms on ID Documents – Where Next?

by Francis Tuffy

Holography, and other optically variable devices (OVDs), have become a mainstay of document design when it comes to protecting the photo and personally identifiable information on ID cards, passports, visa stickers and other documents for authenticating a person.

As the landscape for ID documents transitions from physical to digital, this paper will review the historical development of optical security devices and consider their future.

Francis Tuffy

Francis Tuffy has held senior business and technical management positions at Oberthur Fiduciaire, DuPont Authentication, API Security Products and Light Impressions International.

A selection of projects that Francis has led include anti-counterfeit programmes in China (tobacco), Turkey (tea), Scandinavia (mobile phone batteries) and security documents projects in Kenya (tax-stamps), Vietnam (banknotes) and Pakistan (ID – cards)
He has also managed large science programmes at the National Physical Laboratory – one of the leading measurement and testing laboratories in the world and has been called on to advise international anti-illicit trade bodies such as the Kimberley Process, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region and the OECD.

He was Chairman of the International Hologram Manufacturer’s Association from 1998 – 2000. He has been a Chartered Engineer since 2014 and is a Member of the Institute of Physics.

Early in his career, Francis was awarded a British Council Research Scholarship at Budapest Technical University, Hungary and was a finalist in the Young Science Writer competition run by the Sunday Telegraph.

Francis has business, academic and professional qualifications and is Consultant Editor at Reconnaissance.

Securing the Future : Combining Holography with Different Technologies and Traceability

by Puneet Maithani

This comprehensive presentation will provide how combining holography with various technologies and traceability & authentication solutions can safeguard our future, protecting against counterfeiting and ensuring the integrity of our interconnected world. Holography integration with traceability technologies like blockchain and RFID promises unparalleled security and transparency and ASPA plays a vital role in ensuring a secure and trustworthy future across various industries.

Puneet Maithani

Puneet Maithani is Associate Director – Industry Affairs of the Authentication Solution Providers’ Association (ASPA) composed of the leading anti-counterfeiting solution providers in India and beyond.

Total of 10 years’ experience in Marketing & Corporate communication, Project Management, Government Affairs, Government meetings and Business Development. Previously, Mr. Maithani has served in FICCI as Assistant Director. He holds a master’s degree in marketing.

China Hologram Industry Overview and Development

by Coco Yan

China Hologram market is huge and includes ID documents, certificates, tobacco and liquor packaging, FMCG packaging and labels and security labels.

China Hologram industry supply chain is also very abundant, with production of all kinds of hologram products such as hot and cold foils, cold foil, laminates, transfer foils, stripes etc. Particular growth has been seen in laser transfer paper for tobacco and liquor packaging with outstanding OVD effects. When it comes to origination, most technologies are imported, but with embossing and coating equipment China has full local supply chain.

Some local hologram producers already have very advanced technology, like high-speed hologram foil with single image combined with deep structure like lens effects. For the liquor market, local hologram suppliers can offer unique solutions on glass bottle via a LTM process, which can bear 20 min high temperature baking process. The market volume is worth more than 28 million US dollars.

China hologram market is developing quickly, both production technology and production capacity are growing rapidly. In the near future, China hologram companies will enter into global market.

The presentation will cover:

Part 1: Hologram industry and supply chain in China

1\. Hologram products and main suppliers

2\. Supply chain

Part 2: Hologram application in China

1\. ID documents and cards: lamination film, single image hot stamping foil, hologram stripe

2\. Cigarette packaging for anti-counterfeiting purpose / for unique decorative purpose

3\. FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) packaging for decorative purpose

4\. Anti-counterfeiting label

Part 3: China Hologram Market outlook for next 5 years

Part 4: SID (Security Identity Union) Introduction

Coco Yan

Ms. Coco Yan is the Executive Secretary of Security Identification Union (SID), which is a national association under the leadership of China International Association for Promotion of Science and Technology (CIAPST). She has Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Trade from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (1995~2000) and Master’s Degree in Marketing from Renmin University of China (2002~2004).

As an expert in security and identification, Ms. Coco Yan has been working in the industry for more than 20 years, continuously dedicated to pushing the development of anti-counterfeiting technology, Track & Trace, Trusted identification technology, and international exchange of science technology & global security industry cooperation. She has worked in KURZ China for around 10 years (2014~2023) as part of the TRUSTCOCEPT Team, and prior to that in China Banknote Printing (2004~2014) in various sales and management positions.