Brussels, Lisbon, 11th March 2020 – The new Belgian eID document, which was launched in a pilot phase in January 2020, received the “Best Regional ID Document” award yesterday evening during a ceremony at the High Security Printing event in Lisbon. This award promotes the best in security printing, system infrastructure, and implementation of a government passport, identity or other security card scheme.
17 years at the forefront of innovation & security
In 2003, Belgium was a pioneer in the area of electronic identity documents, being the first country in the world to roll out such a document at national level. Since then, use of the eID has been extended to include foreign residents in Belgium, children under 12, and a number of additional public and private applications.
Early this year, Belgium launched a renewed version of its national ID document. Enhancements include a revised design with new elements to combat counterfeiting even more effectively, the presence of the photo in five different locations—including at the front and back in a combination of perforation technique (Image Perf) and laser printing—and the switch to a dual smart card, making the Belgian eID an ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) compliant travel document which holds the information of two fingerprints.
A key tool for citizens to interact with public authorities online
Bart Vrancken, Head of the Identity Documents department of the Federal Public Service Interior, says: “We are very happy about this award. The Belgian eID is a condensate of the best-in-breed techniques and technologies meeting the highest security standards in terms of document and data protection. This is an essential tool for every Belgian citizen to use for online authentication in the safest way, interact with the public authorities, and carry out all sorts of transactions, including those requiring a qualified eSignature.”
Alain Wirtz, CEO of Zetes, continues: “The Belgian eID is a flagship product in Zetes’ portfolio. It has been the company’s first governmental reference and a key one to establish our reputation worldwide. We were therefore honoured to be able to continue our collaboration with the Belgian authorities for the renewal of this project and are proud about today’s recognition from the industry.”
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For more information:
DGIP - Intérieur
Peter Grouwels
T +32 2 518 23 48 - M +32 479 920 028
E peter.grouwels@rrn.fgov.be
Zetes
Corporate Communications Manager
Mathilde Alves Nunes
T +32 2 790 37 48
E mathilde.alves@zetes.com
About Zetes
Zetes is a technology company specialising in supply chain optimisation and citizen identification solutions. Our solutions Supply Chain help companies achieve agility, visibility and traceability across their connected supply chain. Our People ID division provides public authorities and supranational institutions with solutions to enable authentication of citizens in view of the issuing of secure ID and travel documents and the creation of national registers or voters’ lists.
Zetes is headquartered in Brussels and has more than 1,300 employees in 22 countries across EMEA with a revenue of €286.2 million in 2018. In 2017, Zetes became a subsidiary of the Panasonic Corporation. For more information, visit our website or subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
About Zetes’ People ID
The People ID division of Zetes provides secure solutions that allow governments to accurately identify their populations and satisfy the strictest international requirements concerning the issuing of documents and the organising of democratic elections. Zetes has more than 10 years' experience in the implementation of sensitive projects for governments and supranational organisations. Zetes’ government solutions are characterised by reliability combined with flexibility and operational capability. Through this approach, citizens are secure in their ability to prove their identity and exercise democratic rights.
