Company chronicle

From 2005: International recognition as a systems supplier

The introduction of the German ePassport
On 1 November 2005, German citizens received the first ICAO-compliant electronic passports. Germany was hence one of the first EU member states to respond to the EU Commission's demand that new biometric methods be used throughout Europe to protect the identity of all citizens.

As the general contractor in the German ePassport project, Bundesdruckerei managed to ensure the production and personalisation of the new documents in less than a year and also created the entire technical and logistic infrastructures in order to prepare the around 5,500 German registration offices for the enormous change in the application and issuing process.

The successful completion of the first phase of introduction of the German ePassport, with Bundesdruckerei handling the entire process chain, from the application to the production and personalisation of the documents right through to the required verification methods and devices at border control points, i.e. the entire process chain of a closed ID system, is considered to be a convincing showcase project world-wide.

This also reflects the determination to make Bundesdruckerei one of the most innovative and modern companies in information and high-security technology. The company's system house established in 2004 along with Bundesdruckerei's own research and development departments have demonstrated that the mature expertise of a traditional security printing company can certainly be successfully combined with the know-how of high-profile partners and subsidiaries, giving the company a new and persistently future-orientated image.

The new Bundesdruckerei
Since 2005 at the latest, Bundesdruckerei's reputation as a mover and innovator in international ID security markets has been undisputed. Specialists from Berlin are present and actively involved in all major bodies, working groups and associations continuously improving international security standards.

Since 1 November 2007, Bundesdruckerei has been the first company world-wide to use Extended Access Control (EAC) for the issuance of second-generation German ePassports in which the data of the document holder's two fingerprints is stored.

The company is involved in various research projects, initiating the development of new technologies, processes and material which enhance the protection of sensitive identity data and which help to continuously improve the forgery resistance of modern ID documents. eIdentity (eID), as one of the greatest challenges facing high-security technology, is being anticipated in Berlin in numerous innovations and implemented in future-enabled solutions.

Active involvement in preparations for the introduction of the electronic health card and the establishment of the required Public Key Infrastructures bear witness to the company's innovative strength, as do the many new products which help to significantly improve security and efficiency in all areas of identifying, authenticating and verifying individuals and documents.

Following a difficult phase of recovery and reorganisation, 2006 was the company's most successful year to date. Drawing on the wealth of experience gained in many large-scale national and international projects, the "new" Bundesdruckerei as a supplier of integrated ID systems has lastingly strengthened its lead over competitors.

It is the declared goal of everybody at Bundesdruckerei to put to use and expand this strength in a process of continuous innovation for the future markets in the field of high-security technology.