Rio Delivers a Stunning Display for HSP LatAm

This year’s High Security Printing (HSP) Latin America, the 12th edition of the conference, returned to Rio de Janeiro, where it all began with the inaugural event back in 2012. And not just to the same country and city, but the same spectacular Sheraton Grand Rio hotel overlooking the same spectacular Leblon beach.

The sell-out conference was both a homecoming and a reminder of how far the event has advanced in its 13 year history. Whilst remining true to its founding principle as an event in the region and for the region, it now has a wider focus on the challenges, opportunities and – notably – the successes of the high security sector in Latin America and the Caribbean and also has more people taking part than ever before. Over 310 delegates attended from 143 organisations and 42 countries, including 137 from Latin America and the Caribbean.  The ratio of supplier organisations to government (central bank, ID and passport issuing authorities and law enforcement) – an important metric for the conference – was one to three.

The twin track programme delivered two workshops – one a full-day hands-on discussion on cash sustainability together with the International Currency Association, and the other a half-day session run by Entrust that looked at the highly topical, and somewhat sobering, impact of AI on personal identity and ID documents.

The programme then delivered 47 presentations over two days, starting with the regional landscape for secure documents, concluding with initiatives to battle counterfeiting, and ranging from design, security, substrates and features to production and print, sustainability, and combating fraud in-between.

The conference was formally opened by Antonio José Medina Lima Júnior of the Central Bank of Brazil, and by Thaigo Marçal Portela of honorary sponsor Casa da Moeda do Brasil, both of whom introduced delegates to the payments, cash and ID production landscape in the country.

On the currency front, a number of central banks took delegates through developments in their currencies from a range of different perspectives.  

The Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten, for example, talked about the imaginative public engagement campaign to ensure support and familiarity for not just a new series of banknotes and coins, but a whole new currency.

The Central Bank of Boliva explained how the upgrade of its banknotes has resulted in a dramatic reduction in counterfeits – from a ratio of 200 ppm in 2016 to 26 ppm in 2025.

Latin America is something of a global trailblazer in the protection of the environment, and this was evident throughout many of the presentations.

They included Brazilian papermaker BP Security who is recycling banknote paper into new banknote paper, and Biobanknote of Colombia, who spoke of its various products generated from banknote waste. Two such products are Biofort, an organic soil fertiliser, and BiobankMulch, a biodegradable protection ring for trees. The company has also developed Biobanksludge, which transforms the sludge from intaglio printing into soil enhancers, and will shortly launch the Bioreactor, a composting solution that turns banknote waste into compost in 24-48 hours.

Continuing on the sustainability theme, delegates heard about Oberthur’ s new Green HighLink, a durability treatment that adds bio renewable elements to latex that is incorporated into cotton paper substrates, and about sister company Oberthur Cash Protection’s answer to reducing the environmental cost of transporting banknotes – namely Intelligent Banknote Neutralisation Systems (IBNS) that deface cash during robberies, thereby removing the incentive to steal it and hence reducing the need for heavy weight, energy-intensive armoured vehicles.

SICPA described its four-point programme for reducing the environmental impact of ink, ranging from hazard free materials and less fossil dependency to production efficiencies and life cycle optimisation. It also celebrated the growing success of SPARK®, the various iterations of which are now in use in 120 of the world’s currencies and introduced its new SPARK Flow Stream feature.  

Hueck Folien reviewed its sustainability work using its Ocean Dollar as a recycling concept for banknotes.  This includes Optomove® security thread that achieves 53% CO2 savings through the recycled PET and aluminium it uses and is produced on EcoBreath® paper from BP Security in partnership with the Casa da Moeda do Brasil. 

Hueck Folien also talked about Nanoswitch®, which combines nanoengineered optical security elements with partial ColorSwitch™, and is the result of a new, and now enhanced, cooperation with IQ Structures, who also presented on its latest optical features. As did KURZ with KINEGRAM Agile and Louisenthal on its new generation of patch features. In all cases, movement and colour are key.

Mario Arias (Toppan) argued that issuing a secure ePassport is only the first step; its efficacy depends on global certificate exchange and trust networks. He advocated for regional alignment with ICAO Public Key Directory (PKD) participation and full Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) deployment, as demonstrated by Argentina. Without this, even the best-designed ePassports can’t deliver on border security, interoperability, or user mobility.

The Casa da Moeda do Brasil’s Tran$forma initiative was highlighted as a proof of concept that sustainability and high security are not mutually exclusive. Using 100% wastepaper recycling, eco-inks, and reverse logistics, it showcased a scalable, localised model that maintains integrity without environmental cost.

Veridos introduced its FlashPass platform, noting that digital transformation without trust infrastructure will inevitably fail. Emphasis was placed on the need for secure mobile onboarding, cryptographic exchange, and user-centred system architecture to prevent erosion of confidence in digital ID systems.

Several sessions, including those by Richard Perera and Balázs Megyeri, warned that identity systems are only as strong as their foundational documents – birth, marriage, and death certificates. These are still prone to forgery and lack the robust protections afforded to passports and ID cards.

For those who chose to stay on after the main conference agenda ended, there were two tours.  On 12 June 75 delegates travelled to Casa da Moeda do Brasil and to SICPA América do Sul. On 13 June a smaller group of 20 travelled to São Paulo to visit Blendpaper.

At Casa da Moeda do Brasil, delegates visited one of the largest and most sophisticated printworks and mints in the world. Located in Rio de Janeiro and founded in 1694, the delegates had a glimpse into the advanced processes and quality standards used to produce a range of high-security documents, including passports. Brazil is self-sufficient in currency production, producing approximately 2.6 billion banknotes and 4 billion coins each year.

At SICPA América do Sul, delegates explored a cornerstone of global banknote security at Insights LatAm. With a rich heritage and a strategic operational role within a global network, SICPA showcased its cutting-edge technologies in ink and features development. .

The tour to Blendpaper provided an insight into the specialised world of security paper production. The visit enriched the delegates’ understanding of the supply chain that supports document integrity and innovation across the industry.

These visits offered delegates a rare opportunity to see the key production elements of security document production from paper to ink to printing, and valuable time for meaningful engagement with experts and their cutting-edge technologies. .

The weather for HSP Latin America was nowhere near as good as it had been for Rio back in 2012; however, fortunately, on the night of the conference dinner, the clouds parted, and the moon shone – providing a memorable night on Sugarloaf Mountain with the lights of Rio and its bays shining in the valleys below. The dinner was also a carbon neutral event, underscoring the organisers’ commitment to sustainability.

The evening was also memorable for the presentation of the Regional Banknote and ID Document of the Year awards – with Curaçao and Sint Maarten, Bermuda, Guatemala, Guyana, St Kitts and Nevis, and Peru all recognised for their innovative new notes, passport or ID systems.

The weather worsened again for the beach volleyball the following evening – where players had to contend not so much with each other for possession of the ball, but with the wind. Even so, a great evening was had by all.

While it is always the goal that a conference really works, standing out as something special, some work better than others.  This Rio HSP conference was one of those that really worked.  With a mix of innovation, new technology, sustainability and design and production excellence running through a strong programme, excellent post conference tours and a strong social programme, the conference feedback reflects a successful event. 

We will, of course, strive to make sure that HSP LatAm 2026 will be the same!  Bookmark early June now with full details to follow.