Latest News

Nikki Strickland

29 April 2021

4 min read

Cash As Part of a Sustainable Future Payments Mix

The UK was the first major economy to pass laws for net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and has cut emissions by more than 40% since 1990. It’s also committed to reduce its emissions at least 68% compared to 1990 levels – this is the fastest rate of reductions from a major economy to date and will help contribute towards the international goal of limiting the global temperature rise to below 1.5°C.

Comment Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

29 April 2021

3 min read

G+D and UN Global Compact – Greener Banknotes

With a climate goal of a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2022 (base year 2016), Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) and its papermaking and feature subsidiary Louisenthal state that they are making a significant contribution towards climate protection – surpassing the goal, and achieving a reduction of 32% in 2020.

Companies Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

29 April 2021

3 min read

Portals Invests to Deliver Sustainability

Portals published its Sustainability Report on April’s Earth Day. With two UK paper mills, one at Overton making banknote paper based on cotton and one at Bathford making security papers based on wood pulp, sustainability is potentially a big issue for the company.

Companies Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

29 April 2021

3 min read

Impact of COVID-19 on Cash Operations in Malaysia

The year of the pandemic saw Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) take a wide range of steps to ensure payments worked effectively, according to its 2020 Annual Report.

Central Banks COVID-19 Studies, Reports

Astrid Mitchell

29 April 2021

2 min read

Bank of Canada Reports on 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic saw payment behaviour deviate markedly from historical trends. Unsurprisingly this features heavily in the Bank of Canada’s 2020 annual report. On one hand it put pressures on its cash inventories as the Bank moved fast to boost stocks at its regional distribution centres. Its operations centres had to respond with agility and to innovate to ensure cash supply was uninterrupted.

Central Banks COVID-19 Studies, Reports

Astrid Mitchell

29 April 2021

3 min read

G+D Reports Strong 2020 Despite the Pandemic

Giesecke+Devrient, like so many other companies, has faced considerable challenges over the past year. But through effective cost management and by increasing the margins in its business, it was able to boost its operating result for 2020 by 13% to €153 million on revenue of €2.3 billion, which was only slightly down (-5%) on last year. The net profit for the year was €43 million.

Companies COVID-19

Astrid Mitchell

29 April 2021

4 min read

Sustainability – the New Normal After the Pandemic

The last year has been dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to surprise and to wreak huge damage. But perhaps there is another global issue that is just as urgent – namely, climate change and, as part of that, environmental sustainability.

COVID-19 Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

29 April 2021

4 min read

A Match Made in Heaven – Portals to Acquire Fedrigoni’s Security Business

Portals, the second largest commercial banknote and security paper manufacturer, has entered into an agreement with Fedrigoni, one of the leading European producers of specialty papers and self-adhesive labels, to buy its security business based in Bollate in Italy, which specialises in security threads and foils.

Banknotes Companies

Astrid Mitchell

29 April 2021

1 min read

Major Milestone for Schuler

Schuler Press, the leading manufacturer of coin production equipment, has reached a major milestone with the sale this month of its 1,000th high performance minting press.

Companies

Astrid Mitchell

29 April 2021

3 min read

In Other News…

Japan will begin issuing newly redesigned ¥500 coins from around November, the Finance Ministry has said, after their initial release in the first half of the fiscal year from April was postponed due to the pandemic, and in particular delays to updates to ticket and automated teller machines.

Banknotes Central Banks Coins

Astrid Mitchell

29 April 2021

2 min read

Bank of England Shrinks Cash Footprint

The success of the new polymer series and falling transactional demand are behind the Bank of England’s proposal to close its regional cash distribution centre in the northern city of Leeds, in February 2023.

Central Banks

Astrid Mitchell

29 April 2021

1 min read

World Earth Day – What is Our Industry Doing to Support Sustainability?

As described in April's Comment article, other than the current pandemic, the main topic of major global concern – and one that will endure long after the pandemic has (we hope) receded – is the environment.

Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

29 April 2021

2 min read

G+D Partners with Doconomy for Payments

G+D has also announced that it is joining forces with the Swedish fintech start-up Doconomy to enhance payment solutions with digital sustainability-oriented tools.

Companies Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

29 March 2021

3 min read

The ECB’s Environmental Sustainability Journey

At Intergraf's just-concluded Currency+Identity online conference, Bernadette O’Brien presented the work done by the European Central Bank (ECB) on improving the environmental sustainability of euro banknotes. From its first life cycle assessment (LCA) of the first euro series in 2004 through to its 2020 Product Environmental Footprint project, the ECB has steadily worked to ensure the euro banknotes are ‘good citizens’.

Central Banks Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

29 March 2021

2 min read

KOMSCO Implements Emergency Measures

The state-run Korean Minting, Security Printing and ID card Operating Corp (KOMSCO) has announced the implementation of an emergency management system in the face of losses sustained last year.

Companies COVID-19

Astrid Mitchell

29 March 2021

2 min read

The Unique Identity of a Polymer Banknote

When a polymer banknote is produced, a number of opacification layers are printed onto the core substrate so that it can accept the traditional banknote printing processes such as litho, intaglio, screen and letterpress printing.

Banknotes Counterfeiting Technology

Astrid Mitchell

29 March 2021

1 min read

Shareholders Approve G4S Acquisition

G4S shareholders have accepted a £3.8 billion from Allied Universal, bringing to a close a months-long battle between two firms to take control of the security services company.

Companies

Astrid Mitchell

29 March 2021

1 min read

People in the News

The Federal Reserve of New York has announced the appointment of Naureen Hassan as its First Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer (COO). She replaces Michael Strine, who retired at the end of February.

Central Banks Companies News

Astrid Mitchell

29 March 2021

3 min read

Orell Füssli Results for 2020 Demonstrate Resilience

The COVID-19 pandemic is a prime factor in companies’ financial results for the last year, and for most its impact has been negative. Orell Füssli’s results are no exception. In an opening statement it said the company ‘held its own in a difficult market environment in 2020. Although sales and profitability were lower than in the previous year and cash flow was negative due to high capital expenditure, our balance sheet allows us to pay a dividend to our shareholders’.

Companies

Astrid Mitchell

29 March 2021

10 min read

Luminescence Sun Chemical Security – Combining Family Values with Global Reach

Three years ago, the family-owned security ink business Luminescence was acquired by Sun Chemical, the world’s largest manufacturer of inks and pigments to create, in its words, a new global player and an enormous growth platform for the company in the $2.7 billion security ink market. Since then, whilst the company is now called Luminescence Sun Chemical Security, it seems to be very much business as usual in the highly specialised security ink market, where technical requirements are exceptionally demanding and competition relatively limited.

Interviews