A new international trade body, International Optical Technologies Association (IOTA) has been launched to represent and promote the wide range of authentication, anti-counterfeiting and automation optical security technologies.

It is available to global law enforcement agencies, central governments and brand owners.

Holography

The International Optical Technologies Association (formerly known as the International Hologram Manufacturers Association or IHMA) has evolved and now features within a broader spectrum of optical security technologies.

Technologies continue to advance beyond holography and in the face of expanding market applications, security sector mergers and acquisitions and consolidation among solutions providers.

The increased demand for physical solutions is also being felt with customers and end-users requiring sustainable solutions while the challenges grow ever more intricate.

Membership

IOTA membership currently embraces all developers and suppliers of security features based on technologies that in addition to holography, include singularly or a combination of:

• Micro-lens arrays
• Micro-mirrors
• Plasmonics
• Nano-gratings
• Colour change
• Caustics
• Polarisation
• Photonic crystals
• Special print-generated effects

Indeed, several existing members produce optical security features beyond holography, such as SPARK Orbital by De La Rue, RollingStar micro-mirrors and colour shift features by Louisenthal, plasmonic features by Authentix and SURYS, and KINEGRAM features by KURZ.

“Change is never easy but it is essential for growth”

Dr Mark Deakes, Chair, commented: “I am honored to be part of this transformative moment, building on our legacy while embracing a modern identity.

“Change is never easy but it is essential for growth. IOTA is more than a rebrand; it’s a movement to lead the optical security industry into a brighter, more innovative future and we want industry stakeholders to join us.

“IOTA will spearhead a new era of authentication, anti-counterfeiting and automation, always pushing the boundaries of possibility.

“We will continue to evolve in line with the exciting technologies we represent to ensure the interests of members and manufacturers are to the fore and their voices heard.”

Targeting sectors

Building on the IHMA’s global work in highlighting the role played by commercial holography, IOTA aims to create separate chapters or sections and focus its activities on document security, brand protection, packaging, art and industrial.

A series of user-focused webinars are planned this year that will target key optical security sectors while presentations at several industry conferences will showcase the Association’s work.