Innovation and Exploration Take Centre Stage in Bilbao

The Intergraf Currency + Identity Conference and Exhibition took place from 18-20 October in Bilbao, Spain. The Bilbao Exhibition Centre hosted this year’s 940-plus participants from the two branches of the industry, of which more than 170 were from central banks, government and law enforcement, along with 107 exhibitors.

The conference ran 10 parallel sessions on currency and identity featuring presentations from 60+ speakers, providing a dynamic exploration of innovation.

Currency topics included sustainability, green banknotes, CBDCs, production efficiency and cash usage. On the identity side, the focus was on digitalised services, counter-fraud training, passport series, document digitalisation, biometrics and the balance between digital and physical credentials.

The event concluded with a panel discussion addressing unprecedented situations aimed at finding ways our community can contribute.

The exhibition area offered first-hand access to front-line solutions and products from world class security suppliers. Exhibitors presented some innovations and used the opportunity to launch new products. Security Fibres promoted their new Micro-Marques™, High Security SPECTRUM™ and Myriad™ fibres; Oberthur Fiduciarie launched the Anima™ security thread; and Toppan launched the new IODINE printer.

New partnerships were announced too: IQ Structures and Hueck Folien launched a new design optical security stripe for banknotes with a Bilbao motif. In addition, the news & demo stage was a big success, offering exhibitors the opportunity to present some brilliant innovations.

The day before, on 17 October 2023, after a joint opening session, two exclusive events took place: Intergraf Currency High and Intergraf Identity High. These were held in parallel, and attendance was by invitation only and restricted to a select audience to ensure high-profile conversations and the exchange of best practices of topics of relevance to their area of expertise within a secure environment.

On the same day was a workshop entitled ‘Lets’ Talk about Certification – A Strategic Approach to Everyday ProblemSolving for Intergraf-Certified Companies’. The workshop comprised training and informational sessions to ensure that companies are well equipped to cope with the challenging scenarios in day-to- day operations. Interested parties could learn about the benefits of the Intergraf ISO 14298 and 15374 standards to secure supply chains and the advantages of internationally acknowledged standards to cope with currency and identity needs.

Informal discussions complemented the wide range of presentations and innovations that formed the body of the Intergraf Currency + Identity Conference and Exhibition.

The networking events took place at the prestigious Guggenheim Museum on Tuesday, where attendees had the privilege of a private gallery visit after closing hours before the welcome cocktail. As usual, on Wednesday the Exhibition Aperitif was offered on the exhibition floor. To top it all off, on Thursday a Pintxo Party was organized at the San Mames football stadium that ended up on the dance floor.

The next Intergraf Currency + Identity Conference will take place in Milan, Italy, 3-6 March, 2025.