The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) has published its annual report for 2023 – the first under Acting Director Charlene E Williams, who was appointed to the position after the retirement of Len Olijar last July.

Last month, we covered the annual results of four of the major companies in the cash sector –Crane NXT, Loomis, NCR Atleos and Diebold Nixdorf. After the predicable challenges of the COVID years and their aftermath, 2023 was a good year for all.

Crane NXT, whose subsidiaries include Crane Currency, Crane Authentication and Crane Payment Innovations, has announced it has signed a definitive agreement with Investcorp Technology Partners to acquire the optical technologies and brand protection specialist OpSec Security for $270 million in cash, subject to customary adjustments.

A cooperative project between Jura (the developer of security prepress systems including software and hardware solutions) and OeBS (the Austrian banknote printer) has worked to develop direct engraved steel (S-DLE) intaglio printing plates, thus eliminating the use of an environmentally dangerous process and materials.

Europe’s newest printworks, Spain’s Imprenta de Billetes SA (IMBISA), has been awarded a contract to produce all €10 banknotes destined for the Eurozone in 2024 – 424.2 million in total. It will also produce a portion of the €5 notes required next year.

Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions (K&B BNS) has pre- launched its new production platform called ‘AKTINA’.

Biobanknote has spent 12 years focusing on the protection of the environment, building expert knowledge about composting banknotes, and offers professional advisory services to central banks and producers helping them set banknote specification parameters, measurement methodologies, controls and evaluations so that the new banknotes can be more sustainable throughout the cash cycle.

Each February and March we cover the previous year’s results for the leading companies in cash management, most of whose financial years run from January to December. Between them these results provide a useful means of taking the pulse of our industry.

Currency News™ reported in November 2023 on the Guangzhou Banknote Printing Company and its ‘intelligent’ factory. Now China Banknote Ink Co is following on with an Integrated Operation Centre.

The start of 2024 has been marked by a series of acquisitions in the minting community.