Two additional half day seminars (workshops) will be held during the morning and afternoon of 27 March, for conference delegates only. Delegates may attend one or both of the workshops and will receive a reduced rate for booking both.

Design and Public Awareness – the Role of OVDs in Banknotes
Hans A M de Heij, De Nederlansche Bank

A Journey Through Biometrics
Julian Ashbourn, ID Technology Specialist and Author

The seminars are an optional addition to the conference. Delegates may attend one or both of the workshops and will receive a reduced rate for booking both. The fee includes documentation, refreshments and lunch.

One seminar - €346 / £288 / $461 
Both seminars - €520 / £433 / $693

9.00-12.00 - Design and Public Awareness – the Role of OVDs in Banknotes
Hans A M de Heij, De Nederlandsche Bank

Many public security features have their basis in optics. The focus of this seminar will be on Optically Variable Devices (OVDs), which are a major group of public security features. There are now many types and varieties of OVD, each of them having their own characteristics and suitability for use on different types of document. So it is important for everyone invoved in the specification, design, production or examination of secured documents to have a good understanding of the fundamentals of OVDs.

The seminar will survey all kinds of OVD, discussing how they might be compromised and how to recognize such fraudulent efforts, using image material and case-studies to engage and inform participants, and examining not only the technology behind such features, but how they are perceived and used by the public.

Hans de Heij holds a masters degree in industrial design and is currently undertaking a PhD in banknote design. He has worked since 1981 on banknote design and public awareness at De Netherlandsche Bank (the Dutch central bank), first on guilders and then euros, to which he has made a significant contribution in both the design and the managing of the design process. He is a particular authority on how banknotes are used, verified, communicated and counterfeited, and is the author of studies published by the DNB on design features for the visually-impaired, and for retailers and the public (click here to read more)

Biometric identity verification represents an interesting example of modern technology and the possibilities afforded by electronics and computers. There are many technologies in this respect, although biometric technology is unique in one sense, and that is the very personal interaction that exists between user and technology. Furthermore, there are societal and political implications associated with the use of this technology which are far reaching in both scope and effect.

Consequently, developing an appreciation of biometrics involves more than simply understanding how the technology works, or becoming familiar with contemporary product offerings. Such an understanding is especially important for those in government who may be constructing policies and developing processes based upon this understanding. Unfortunately, there are very few sources from which relevant and meaningful information may be drawn. This comprehensive biometric seminar therefore represents a welcome and rare opportunity to engage with one of the pioneers, not only of biometric technology but, importantly, of the developed understanding of associated issues and concepts.

This will undoubtedly be the primary biometric event of 2012, reaching further into the subject and related factors than will be possible at any other conference. In addition, it will be the launch venue for The Biometric Constitution, a unique guidance document which will be of significant value to every government agency engaged with implementing this technology, as well as to users of the technology and those concerned with data protection and privacy. Within an increasingly confusing technological world, this document represents something of a guiding star, as indeed does the seminar itself.

A Journey Through Biometrics will be an interactive seminar, covering the following broad concepts.

• History, development and the current situation
• Assumptions, perceptions and implications
• Performance considerations
• Documents and printing
• Futures and conclusions

Within these high level headings there will be a wealth of insights offered, together with the opportunity for a good deal of informed discussion. Delegates will receive conference notes, a copy of The Biometric Constitution and some associated software utilities. Most importantly, they will benefit from the most comprehensive overview of this technology ever staged at a public conference. For those with a professional or political interest in biometric technology, this is an event that should simply not be missed.

Julian Ashbourn is a technology consultant, specialising in identity management, security and IT infrastructure with expert knowledge of biometrics. He has been at the forefront of the biometrics industry since its inception, not as a creator or seller of biometric systems but as an implementer and user of the technology. Within his sphere of expertise, he has introduced many new concepts including the User Psychology Index, the Biometric Operability Index and others, and has authored a number of related books including Practical Biometrics: From Aspiration to Implementation and, most recently, Guide to Biometrics for Large-Scale Systems.