IN Groupe Buys GSI

IN Groupe, owners of the optical features specialist SURYS, has agreed to buy 100% of the shares of Gleitsmann Security Inks from hubergroup Deutschland for an undisclosed consideration in cash.

This is the second acquisition in as many months for the French-headquartered state security printer and secured digital services specialist. Two months ago, it acquired the security components business of Portals, which was formerly known as Fabriano (see HN June 2023).

According to IN Groupe, the complementary nature of both companies will strengthen the group’s portfolio to meet the needs of governments and central banks in securing credentials and banknotes for both euro and export markets.

‘As a national printing company, it is part of (our) strategic plan to provide governments and administrations with security solutions for which IN Groupe masters the critical components, and can thus develop the security of tomorrow for identity and banknotes’ said Didier Trutt, Chairman and CEO.

GSI has 80 employees and is expected to generate sales in the double-digit million euros this year. It will continue to operate as a company, keeping its name, staff and products but forming part of the Secured Components division of IN Groupe, which also includes SURYS and Smart Packaging Solutions (SPS). The division is led by Frederic Trojani, who is also CEO of SURYS.

Launch of new thread

SURYS has also announced the launch of Vibes™, a striking new security feature that, says the company, meets central bank requirements in combining moving effects, brilliancy, colours adapted to the banknote design and all the other attributes required for a security thread.

It is based on an innovative micro-optic technology, its optical effects relying on a matrix of micro-optic devices called Optical Micro Cells (OMCs). Each OMC has unique optical characteristics and will interact with light in a specific way. When arranged in the matrix, the OMC cells work together to enable the complete reconstruction of the graphical image and its movements at various angles.

Moreover, it does not require a complex multi-layered optical structure, since all the optical information is gathered within one layer.

The images created deep in the structure of the security thread appear to be in motion or ‘vibrating’ when the banknote is in movement (hence the name).

This is the third thread technology to be introduced by SURYS in recent years which, prior to then, had produced optically variable patches and stripes only. In 2020 it launched TriStar™ – a combined holographic/colour shift thread – and Moov™ – which combines colour shift with animation.

The afore-mentioned acquisition of Fabriano Security will help accelerate SURYS’ move into security threads. According to Frederic Trojani, one of the reasons for the acquisition is Fabriano’s capability to convert all its foils into different threads and add features like magnetism or liquid crystal, as well as micro-slitting, which SURYS was not able to do before.