Helsinki, 3 May, 2017 – The National Police Board of Finland and Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 – GTO), t​he world leader in digital security, have been announced as joint winners of the 2017 Award for Best Regional ID Document, reflecting their successful collaboration on the creation of the Nordic country’s latest ePassport and eID card. The presentation was made by Reconnaissance, organizers of the High Security Printing EMEA Conference on March 29 in a special ceremony that rewards best practice and security design in the identity document industry.

The introduction of Finland’s new ePassport and national ID card coincides with the 100^th anniversary of the country’s independence. Combining advanced security with striking artwork, both documents are the result of a highly effective partnership between Gemalto’s team of security experts, the National Police Board, and other stakeholders including the Finnish Immigration Service, Border Guard, Population Register Centre and Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The Finnish Police also welcomed input direct from citizens.

The biometric passport is fully compliant with the latest ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) specifications for identity fraud protection and forgery prevention. An embedded contactless microprocessor stores the holder’s digital image and fingerprint scans.  Numerous additional security elements are incorporated, including the Window Lock feature for photo protection, a negative ghost image that is laser personalized into a metallic foil hidden in a transparent window.

“​The main theme of Finland’s centenary celebration is ‘Together’. The new passports and eID documents honor this theme and are the result of close teamwork between citizens, authorities and Gemalto” said Tommi Nordberg, SVP of Government Programs in EMEA at Gemalto. “This award confirms that Finland has once again raised the bar in terms of creativity, convenience and protection.”