2020 Review
Big Increase in Customer Attendance at The Holography Conference Online
Attracted by the range of holographic technology solutions on display and the convenience of the online format, participant analytics from the conference show that, this year, more government customers than ever attended The Holography Conference Online (THCO, 8-9 December).
The Holography Conference has traditionally been a forum for hologram suppliers, producers and users to meet and exchange information and experiences. It has also been a place to share and showcase the latest technologies, production techniques, applications and markets. This year was no exception, but what was different was that, sponsored by IQ Structures and partnering with The International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA), there was a noticeable increase in participation from government officials involved in specifying security features for banknotes, ID cards, driving licences and other documents of value.
The conference was divided into four schematic sessions to reflect the diversity of applications for holograms in document security, brand protection and packaging enhancement.
Paul Dunn, IHMA Chair, started proceedings in the Resilience and Sustainability session of the conference with his presentation on ‘The Role of the IHMA in Charting the Next Pathway for Holography’.
Jochen Kirsch (ISRA Surface Vision) followed Paul with his paper on ‘How In-line Inspection Throughout the Hologram Production Process Boosts Efficiency and Reduces Cost’. Jochen pointed out the challenges, and solutions, in machine inspection of holographic foil production as the optical properties and defects in the material changes from process step to process step.
David Tidmarsh posed the question ‘When Banknotes Sneeze, Do Holograms Catch a Cold?’ in which he explored the latest innovations in holographic features for banknotes as well as the overall prospects for banknotes in a world living with COVID.
The session concluded with a presentation on ‘Light Field Technology – Bringing Holograms to Life in a Virtual World’ from Linda Law (Linda Law Holographics).
The next session, entitled Physical, Digital and Virtual, explored the interplay between holograms and digital devices to improve authentication or verification of a person, product, document or the hologram itself.
Presentations from Pete Smallwood (Eltronis), Jan Thiele (Prismade Labs), Alex Lewis (Surys) and Brett Nelson (De La Rue Authentication) all emphasised that the use of smartphones and other technologies as digital authentication devices facilitate a broad industry desire to retain the familiarity and usability of holograms whilst staying ahead of the fraudsters.
The session was followed by a panel discussion, moderated by Francis Tuffy – editor of Holography News – in which Paul Dunn, Pete Smallwood and originator of Holography News, Ian Lancaster, discussed the state of innovation in the holography industry. After their opening remarks, questions from the floor seemed to orbit a consensus that, whilst the days of the early inventors that took the first holograms out of the laboratory (and art studio) and onto packaging and security documents may be past, the future of innovation in holography still looks bright.

From left – Francis Tuffy, Paul Dunn, Ian Lancaster, Pete Smallwood
Day 2 of the conference started with the session on Cooperation, Collaboration and Competition. Now more than ever, the holography industry relies on partnerships to deliver successful projects and on the integration of complementary technologies to create world-beating products.
This theme was developed in four papers from Michael Grau (Gietz) & Phil Holland (Komori), Phillipe Gentet (Ultimate Holography), Garry Mudd (Opsec) and Libor Šustr (OPTAGLIO), who demonstrated through their presentations the vital role that business partnering has to play, whether you are working in holographic foil stamping, contact copying machinery, plasmonic nanoparticles or transparent windows for polycarbonate documents.

THCO 2020 – Behind the scene
And so, to the fourth and final session of the conference which looked to Innovation and the Next Frontier for the industry. For participants attending the previous day’s Panel Discussion on the state of innovation in holography this session proved that it is alive and well.
Robert Dvořák’s (IQ Structures) presentation on ‘Edge-to-Edge DOVIDs in Polycarbonate Documents’ set out the concept and execution of a set of national identity documents. Guri Dhillon (XRD nano) explored the advantages of UV recombination and embossing over their thermal counterparts. Ian Smith (KURZ) set out the merits of banknote threads with nano and microstructures from KURZ and, to close the conference, we heard from Clint Landrock (Nanotech Security Corporation) who dragged himself out of bed at a ridiculously early hour (he was calling in from Canada) to convince us of ‘The Importance of 3D Stereo Depth in Authentication’.
We will be covering in more depth some of the individual presentations in future issues of Holography News).
Following the formal sessions of the conference, the mood switched to celebration as the winners of the IHMA Awards for Excellence in Holography were announced, amid a shower of virtual confetti. Details of the winners in the five categories, as well as the newly-introduced ‘People’s Choice’, can be found on the cover page.
Whilst no one can claim that the online event was truly able to replicate the chance meetings of colleagues and customers, what was evident from participants’ comments was that the online version allowed suppliers and customers a welcome window into what is going on the holography industry. Which begs the question, could this be the enduring format for The Holography Conferences of the future?
Attendees
All4Labels Smart + Secure GmbH former Hologram Company RAKO GmbH
Germany
Andrews & Wykeham
United Kingdom
BEIJING ZHONGRONG SECURITY PRINTING Co.,Ltd
China
CBPM – Zhongchao Special Security Technology Co Ltd
China
Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey
Turkey
Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-DIT), Government of Kerala
India
China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation
China
China Banknote Security Printing Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd
China
CJSC Holography Industry
Belarus
collIDe
USA
Computer Holography Centre
Russian Federation
Covestro
China
De La Rue
UK
Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL)
United Kingdom
DEMAX Holograms
Bulgaria
Department of Homeland Security
USA
Eltronis
United Kingdom
European Central Bank
Germany
Federal Police Belgium
Belgium
FMA Secure
Chile
German Federal Criminal Police Office
Germany
Gietz
Switzerland
HENAN PROVINCE WELLKING TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPMENT CO., Ltd
China
Hologramas de Mexico
Mexico
Holography Industry CJSC
Belarus
Hubei Emeteq Holographic Technology Co. Ltd.
China
HUCAIS Group
China
Huizhou Foryou Optical Technology Co., Ltd
China
IHMA
United Kingdom
Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security
USA
IQ Structures
Czech Republic
IRSA Surface Vision
Germany
Komori Corporation
Japan
Krypten Research & Production
Russian Federation
Kurz
Germany
KURZ GROUP
China
KwangWoon University – Holography Laboratory
Republic of Korea
La Monnaie de Paris
France
Linda Law Holographics
United Kingdom
Ministry of Defence
United Kingdom
Ministry of Justice
Egypt
Mitsubishi Polyester Film GmbH
Germany
Monnaie de Paris
France
NANJING NANO TECH Institute
China
Nanotech Security Corp.
Canada
Nottingham Trent University
United Kingdom
OpSec Security Group
United Kingdom
Papierfabrik Louisenthal GmbH
Germany
Polish Security Printing Works (PWPW)
Poland
Prismade Labs
Germany
PT Pura Barutama
Indonesia
Reconnaissance International
United Kingdom
Reproduction Research Centre- National Bank of Denmark
Denmark
Shanghai Security Printing Co.,Ltd
China
Shriram Veritech Solutions Pvt Limited
India
Sicpa SA
Switzerland
SURYS
France
SUZHOU UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
China
Svg Group Co.,Ltd
China
TAIBAO GROUP
China
U.S. Dep of Homeland Security, HSI Forensic Lab
USA
U.S. DHS/ICE-FL
USA
U.S. Federal Government
USA
Ultimate Holography
Republic of Korea
Visua
Ireland
Water Mark Publishing House
Russian Federation
Wuhan Huagong Image Technology & Development Co.,Ltd
China
XRD Nano
United Kingdom
For attendees only – password was provided by our event team.
Tuesday 8 December 2020
11:00 – Opening Film & Conference Welcome
Session 1 – Resilience and Sustainability
11:05
The IHMA – Charting the Next Pathway for Holography
Paul Dunn, IHMA Chairman
International Hologram Manufactuer Association
11:25
How in-line inspection throughout the Hologram Production Process Boosts Efficiency and Reduces Cost
Jochen Kirsch
ISRA Surface Vision (Ger)
12:05
Light Field Technology – Bringing Holograms to Life in a Virtual World
Linda Law
Linda Law Holographics (USA)
Each presentation includes 5 minutes for Q&A
12:25 Break
12:30 Awards Intro and Submissions
Session 2 – Physical, Digital, Virtual
12:50
Physical and Digital – Combining the Best of Both Worlds for Robust Authentication
Pete Smallwood
Eltronis (UK)
13:10
Smart Holograms – Electronic Holograms for Smartphone-Based Verification
Jan Thiele
Prismade Labs (Germany)
13:50
Digital Authentication Using Photopolymer Holograms
Brett Nelson
De La Rue Authentication (USA)
Each presentation includes 5 minutes for Q&A
14:10 Panel Discussion
- Francis Tuffy
- Paul Dunn
- Ian Lancaster
- Pete Smallwood
14:45 Wrap-Up Day 1
15:00 IHMA AGM*
* Held on a separate platform, members will be informed
Wednesday 9 December 2020
11:00 – Opening Film & Conference Welcome
Session 3 – Cooperation, Collaboration, Competition
11:05
The Value of Holographic Security Foil
Michael Grau
Gietz (Switzerland)
Phil Holland
Komori (UK/Japan)
11:25
CHIMERA™ Masters and New Industrial Contact Copy Machine
Philippe Gentet
Ultimate Holography (France)
11:45
Laser-Induced Generation of Plasmonic Nanoparticles for Optical Security Features
Garry W. Mudd
OpSec Security (UK)
Demosthenes C. Koutsogeorgis
Nottingham Trent University (UK)
12:05
Exclusive Anti-Counterfeit Features for Transparent Windows of Polycarbonate Documents
Libor Šustr
OPTAGLIO
Each presentation includes 5 minutes for Q&A
12:25 Break
12:30 Awards Intro and Submissions
Session 4 – Innovation and the Next Frontier
13:30
Banknote Threads from KURZ with Nano/Microstructure and Interference Based Technologies
Ian Smith
KURZ (Germany)
13:50
The Importance of 3D Stereo Depth in Authentication
Clint Landrock
Nanotech Security Corporation (Canada)
Each presentation includes 5 minutes for Q&A
14:10 Awards Ceremony
14:30 Conference Closing
IHMA Awards for Excellence in Holography Continue to Shine Online
The winners of the International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA) Awards for Excellence in Holography were announced, amid a shower of virtual confetti, at the closing of The Holography Conference Online – and for the second year in a row SURYS scooped the coveted prize for ‘Innovation in Holographic Technology’.
In May of this year, it looked unlikely that the awards, which have been a regular calendar feature for over 20 years, would be staged in 2020 due to restrictions caused by the pandemic. But later in the year, with the decision to move The Holography Conference online, the IHMA saw an opportunity to stage the awards as an online showcase.
The awards are the industry’s way of recognising unparalleled sector achievement during these difficult and challenging times. More than 25 submissions were sent in video form for the IHMA Board to review and vote on in five different categories.
In choosing SURYS’ TriSTAR™ banknote security thread for the highly sought after ‘Innovation in Holographic Technology’ award, the Board was particularly impressed by the fusion of traditional hologram concepts and magnetics, micro text and UV fluorescence to create a striking security feature . This, with its unique three-way colour changing effects, can be quickly and easily checked by the public to confirm the banknote’s authenticity.
The strong field of submissions was reflected in the strength of winners in the other award categories.
The prizes for the ‘Best Origination’ and ‘Best Display or Emerging Technology Application of Holography’ went to Ultimate Holography’s DMC DeLorean CHIMERA, a 40 by 30 cm, 250 microns, 120-degrees full-parallax full colour CHIMERA from a computer-generated 3D model. The artist requested a hyper-realistic image combining 3D, high resolution, and natural reflective and diffusive effects. In making the display, the new CHIMERA printer uses low power continuous RGB lasers with separate wavelengths at 640, 532, and 457 nm, to reconstruct a perfect colour balanced image.

The ‘Best Applied Security Product’ award went to Louisenthal for the Micromirror and Hologram LEAD Project which is a house note that depicts a beam of light from a lighthouse which is visualised as a very luminous, bright and dynamic Starburst Effect on the foil – travelling in both directions from the lighthouse.
Hazen Paper Company walked away (virtually speaking) with the ‘Best Applied Decorative/Packaging Product’ award for its 2020 house calendar. Several holographic techniques were integrated into the calendar, included Hazen-Lens behind the dates/months, grey motion for the sky background, colour motion for the dragon’s body and 2-channel fire-lens and colour-motion lens for the fire.
As the awards ceremony was part of The Holography Conference Online, the format allowed all of the awards’ video submissions to be viewed and voted on by conference participants. This led to the creation, for the first time, of the so-called ‘People’s Choice’, the winner of which was Krypten’s Antarctica 200 3D concept banknote with a security stripe combining a volume (3D) hologram with high precision micro-demetallisation.
Dr Paul Dunn, chair of the IHMA, commended the standard of entries as extremely high, contributing to an industry that continues to evolve, innovate and secure new markets and applications.
He added: ‘These awards celebrate the very best in holographic achievement and the many remarkable innovations the industry introduces each year. Creativity, flair and design excellence have again shone brightly in the 2020 entries, reflecting how our industry continues to push the boundaries both technically and commercially.’