With its charming riverside setting, vibrant cultural scene, and excellent public transport, Basel hosted the 21st edition of High Security Printing™ EMEA (HSP EMEA).

On 23 January 2025, the Central Bank of Belize (CBoB) announced a new series of banknotes (in denominations of $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100) featuring holographic threads and stripes. This announcement signifies a significant milestone in Belize’s financial landscape, showcasing innovative designs that celebrate the country’s rich heritage while embracing modernity.

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.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has a long relationship with holography, dating back to 1968 and Professor Stephen Benton, a leading figure in the field and the inventor of rainbow holography. Benton joined MIT in the late 1980s and established the Spatial Imaging Group within the Media Lab. This article briefly covers the activities between MIT and holography.

On 3 July 2024, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) began a new journey with holograms on banknotes, as it issued a new series of banknotes carrying holographic portraits.

Researchers from the Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas and the University of Crete, both in Greece, have developed a groundbreaking optical encryption method that they claim achieves an outstanding level of security.

Recent advancements in nanofabrication have demonstrated new possibilities for enhancing the design of optical security devices (OSDs) that display different images under various lighting conditions, including those combining colour printing with holography. However, the complexity of designing such devices and the challenge of scaling them up for real-world use remain significant hurdles.

Sanyo Chemical, a global manufacturer and supplier of performance chemicals based in Kyoto, Japan, has launched HILUCIS, a UV-curable nanoimprint resin designed to enhance the development of next-generation optical devices for Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR).

A European research team from Germany, the Czech Republic, and Belgium is developing an innovative imaging technology to visualise neuronal processes in living organisms with high precision.

Luminit, a California-based provider of innovative light management solutions for the lighting display, automotive, biomedical, entertainment, and machine vision industries, has made a number of key senior appointments.

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).

WiMi Hologram Cloud Inc (NASDAQ: WiMi), a global hologram augmented reality (AR) technology provider, has announced the development of a hybrid CPU- FPGA quantum AI simulator.

Appotronics, a leader in laser display technology, has announced a strategic partnership with Ceres Holographics to combine their technologies for in-car display solutions, including transparent heads-up displays (HUDs) for drivers and passengers.

The Supreme Court of India is considering making hologram-based, colour-coded stickers (HCCS) for vehicles mandatory nationwide. This comes amid growing concerns about pollution, with an increasing trend in the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi, the country’s capital. The court noted that of the approximately 2.7 million vehicles in Delhi, only 1.7-1.8 million had these HCCS, which are crucial for identifying vehicles using sub-par fuel on high-pollution days.

With the new branding, the International Optical Technologies Association (IOTA) – formerly the International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA) – is expanding its advocacy of the optical security technologies ecosystem.

The Authentication Solution Providers’ Association (ASPA), in collaboration with The Rise (event management firm), has announced the next edition of its flagship event, the Traceability & Authentication Forum™ (TAF).

Advances in optical security technologies are crucial in combating counterfeiting, particularly for government issued documents and banknotes. A recent development in this field is the creation of a high-numerical-aperture (NA) multilevel diffractive microlens array (MLA) that operates across multiple wavelengths.

CES® (short for the Consumer Electronics Show) is justifiably referred to as the most influential technology event in the world. It is the proving ground for breakthrough technologies and global innovators. CES 2025 was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center from 7-10 January 2025.

A team of researchers at Sun Yat-sen University in China, has developed a novel luminescent material with dynamic properties.

In the November 2024 issues of Holography News™, we covered banknotes featuring optical innovations from Samoa, Lesotho, Bermuda, and Cambodia.