KURZ Banknote Security’s production site in Sulzbach-Rosenberg in Germany celebrates its 30th anniversary this year (see HOT News August 2025), in honour of which the company has produced a series of celebration ‘Tree of Life’ notes themed around the beauty and strength of nature and the passage of time.

Colombia’s Health Regulatory Body Instituto Nacional de Vigilancia de Medicamentos y Alimentos – INVIMA has issued a health alert after uncovering a counterfeit batch of oncological drug MABTHERA® (500 mg/50 mL) circulating in the market.

The International Optical Technologies Association (IOTA) revealed the winners of its inaugural ‘Excellence in Optical Technologies Awards’ 2025 during a special ceremony held on 16 September at the Optical & Digital Document Security™ (ODDS) conference, Warsaw, Poland.

For years, Hazen Paper’s holographic calendars have become an annual highlight for designers, collectors, printers, and brand owners. Every calendar showcases Hazen’s brilliant work in pushing the boundaries of optical effects.

Last month, the International Optical Technologies Association (IOTA) announced its newest member – SATORIS of Lithuania. It has now announced the addition of a further four prominent new members: SICPA, TOPTICAL, Q&T Hi-Tech, and XRD Nano.

Optical security innovations continued to win global recognition. Recent award ceremonies across the currency, identity, and packaging sectors have highlighted how these innovations continue to protect these. In this article, Holography & Optical Technology News™ (HOT News) reviews several of the award-winning developments.

If you’re a Pokémon fan, you’ve probably heard that ‘Pokémon TCG: Journey Together’ has been released recently and is now available at the Pokémon Centre (the official website), local card shops, and select retailers in themed boxes, bundles, and booster packs.

At the recent High Security Printing™ (HSP) EMEA conference in Basel (3-5 February), Georgios Tziovaras, Global Business Development Manager at Covestro Specialty Films, highlighted the crucial role of holography and advanced optical technologies in modern identity documents.

The Chinese Lunar New Year 2025 began on 29 January, marking the start of the Year of the Snake. While people and organisations celebrate this in various ways, Holography & Optical Technology News® focuses on a few innovative industry developments welcoming the year of the snake.

In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet asks, ‘What’s in a name?’. Her words suggest that names are merely labels, holding little significance in defining the essence of a thing. Yet, names can profoundly shape perceptions, signal identity, and set expectations. With this in mind, I want to update you about a pivotal moment for Holography News® (HN), which is adopting a new name: Holography & Optical Technology News® (HOT News).