Designing Trust and Innovation for Tomorrow's Banknotes

The 2026 Security Designers Forum, held in Istanbul from 7–9 September, demonstrated once again why there is a growing need for a dedicated event focused on the people, ideas and decisions behind the design of secure documents.

Following the inaugural Forum in Warsaw in 2024, the 2026 event brought together designers, central banks, government authorities, security printers, technology providers, material specialists and experts from across the international security design community. Three days of discussion, knowledge-sharing and networking reflected the industry's maturity and pace of change.

The Forum's central premise is straightforward: design is about much more than appearance. The decisions made by designers influence usability, public recognition, authentication, security, manufacturing, sustainability and ultimately the level of trust placed in a banknote or identity document.