When did you first attend Intergraf, and what do you remember most?
My first Intergraf conference experience was in 2004 at the 20th International Security Printers event in Granada, Spain. I remember clearly both the event and the hotel venue (Alhambra Palace) which set the scene for an incredibly insightful and enriching exchange with customers, partners, and suppliers.
One of the most striking things I remarked was the pivotal role of such events in fostering and enabling a sense of community between the different participants, coming from all over the world and representing a diverse range of activities.
My main take-away from this event was an appreciation of the importance of relationship-building and the role trust and integrity plays in developing such relationships. While all participants enjoyed showcasing their respective innovations and technologies, the true magic in the event was to be found in the human connection and shared sense of being part of an exclusive group of people who together, were shaping the future of banknote and security printing.
What has changed most in the industry since then?
To be honest, I would probably need several hours or several pages to list all the things that have changed as our industry and the product we make, have evolved since 2004. But I will try to summarise it as follows:
Complexity: the expectations of everyone involved in the banknote design, development, production, and distribution chain have evolved immensely and there is a far greater degree of interconnectivity between what was preciously a set of individual and separated activities. This has forced us all to communicate and exchange to better understand the requirements of all stakeholders and to optimise processes so that banknotes continue to play a fundamental role in multi payment tool landscapes, where the public exercises choice in how they wish to pay.
Another substantial change has been the impact of cash access infrastructures on payment tool choice. Way back in 2004, global ATM and commercial bank infrastructures were increasing significantly, making cash access easy and convenient.
Today, as traditional cash access infrastructures deteriorate and commercial banks actively promote digital payments to the detriment of cash, our industry must not only address demand-side factors but also supply-side strategies. Who would have thought back in 2004, that nations would require legislation and national government intervention to ensure that the public have access to what is essentially a 100% public product: banknotes.
And finally, I believe our industry has matured considerable over the past 20 years to fully understand and embrace the true value that cash and only cash brings to society. In a world characterized by uncertainty, geopolitical and economic confrontation, cash is the ultimate risk-mitigation tool by empowering more resilient and robust communities. And we are doing this together, as a community in a sustainable way that embraces ethical and transparent practices while exploring other ways that cash acts as an invisible yet highly pervasive force, fuelling socioeconomic development and quality of life improvement for the individual.
Why do you think Intergraf has stayed relevant for so long?
I think the answer is based upon a mix of heritage, global transformation, and technological evolution. Going back to 1976 when Intergraf was known as the International Master Printers Association, they pioneered the idea of bringing the international security printing together in a single forum to promote and enable relationship-building.
This created a bilateral forum between developers and buyers. Back then, the world’s population was about half of what it is today. As the global population grew, and new nations were born, national independence brought with it a need for currency, passports, identity papers, and an entire range of other security documents.
And then digital innovation rapidly began shifting security from the physical printed document into other spaces. Intergraf allowed many nations and technology developers to keep track of this evolution and explore its implications for their nation. In this way, Intergraf has stayed highly relevant for stakeholders form both the supply and demand side of security technologies by connecting innovators with users and therefore filling an essential gap.
What do you hope to see in the next 50 years?
More collaboration, transparency, and wider involvement. The future of cash will be defined more by the service system that it depends upon to be accessed and used than the product itself. A banknote has no value unless we can get it into the hands of the public and retailers who need it in a sustainable, reliable, and cost-effective manner. I therefore believe that we need more cross-community collaboration between the different cash ecosystem stakeholders involved in the various stages of the currency production and supply chain.
I would also like to see more awareness by National Governments and Central Banks of the societal role of cash that goes far beyond that as a payment tool. Cash is a touchpoint of culture, trust, and knowledge. Unlike digital systems, cash places autonomy directly into people’s hands; it enables true independence, and social purpose.
I believe that Intergraf can and should facilitate this dialogue and exchange between a more diverse range of actors involved on how banknotes and other security documents are used in society. Again, this is a simple story of meeting a clear and present need and filling a gap where new connections and more understanding is required.
Intergraf has proven its capacity to do this in the past by reinventing itself and widening its audience and range of participants. The currency industry remains at the forefront of most innovation in security printing and as such defines much of what we see in modem security documents today.
If we want this to continue, I believe that more attention should be given to the evolving needs of the currency community and that lessons learned here will enrich both the content and learning experiences of all Intergraf Conference participants.
After all, security is all about trust and trust is created through the interaction of a printed product with a dedicated service system that brings it into the hands of the people who use it. Compared to 1976, our world has become more complex but trust remains essential in our day-to-day lives.
Fresh insights and data from the wider cash ecosystem empower us to create and deliver this trust using more sustainable and efficient models. It doesn’t matter if it is a banknote, a passport, or an identity card – trust is the net result of a web of factors that feed into its creation. So, in essence, I would like to see Intergraf bringing the spotlight back onto banknotes and in so doing, inspire, inform, and catalyse more future thinking on how we will create and deliver trust in society in the future.
Eric Boissonnas
Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions