Meet INCM

The Portuguese Mint and Official Printing Office (INCM) is a public limited company. The company oversees the production of goods and services essential to the operation of the Portuguese State. 

We recently spoke with Sílvia Garcia, Head of Innovation. 

 

 

Name: Sílvia Garcia
Organisation: Portuguese Mint and Official Printing Office
Business area:

  • Production of goods and services crucial to the performance of the Portuguese State: ID and travel documents, identification of people and goods, brand protection, minting of metallic coins, authentication of precious metal artefacts, and edition of official publications;
  • security graphics;
  • digital security;
  • edition of essential works of the Portuguese language and culture.

Position in the company: Head of Innovation
INESC TEC centre with which the company collaborated: High-Assurance Software Laboratory (HASLab)  
Project names: vCardID, Cryptographic Key Evolution Study, iDigital, IDINA
Project managers (INESC TEC): Vítor Fonte and Jaime Cardoso

 

What is INCM connection with INESC TEC?

The first approach was made by INCM, in order to develop a very specific project: the creation of a technology that would replace the biometric algorithm for fingerprint identification that was being used in the Citizen Cards’ chip. At the time, this solution was owned by an external supplier, which meant higher costs for our organisation. That’s how the vCardID project emerged. It was the first R&D project developed within the scope of our partnership, and the algorithm developed is currently part of all Citizen Cards produced at INCM. Moreover, we were able to prove the capacity to innovate and create value through technology made in Portugal. 

The success of this partnership was the basis for the creation of the INCM Innovation Network, which came to fruition in 2016 – with 56 partners already. This network is based on a dynamic interface between the business and industrial sectors and the academia, scientific and technological world; in this sense, the organisation is able to acquire and adopt the best practices and methods that the market has to offer, and to boost and invest in research, development and innovation (RD&I) projects.  

Our premise is incorporating and transforming these projects into added value within the scope of INCM’s products, services, processes, business models or organisational methods, while sharing our know-how and resources during the implementation of said projects. 

What are the main results of the collaboration with INESC TEC? 

INESC TEC is currently involved in several projects aimed at the development of essential technologies for the products and services provided by INCM. Of said projects, the following stand out: 

vCardID, which aimed to create an algorithm and associated middleware, and implement it on different biometric verification platforms – with application to the Citizen Card and other ID cards.  

The main result of the vCardID project was a proprietary solution by INCM, allowing the organisation’s independence from suppliers, leading to an effective reduction in production costs. But it went even further: it became a new biometric solution (match-on-card for fingerprints) with its own middleware, through the improvement of the systems where the solutions are implemented.  

The Study on the Evolution of Cryptographic Keys, whose scope falls under the theme of cryptographic keys like those used in the Citizen Card or other civil, academic, and professional ID documents – which currently ensure the authentication and non-repudiation of citizens when performing transactions in which proof of identification is required. The computational advances that we are experiencing and the imminence of the generalisation of access to quantum computing require the development of more complex cryptographic keys and, consequently, harder to break, thus maintaining their purpose of authentication and non-repudiation. 

This project aims to provide INCM with knowledge that will allow the development of more robust cryptographic keys, crucial to maintain secure forms of communication, authentication, privacy, and data integrity services. The cryptographic keys developed via the generated knowledge will be able to resist potential online attacks carried out using supercomputers, e.g., quantum computers. 

iDigital, promoted through a consortium including INESC, INESC ID, INOV, UMinho, UAveiro, UPorto, Instituto Superior Técnico and INESC TEC, which aims to promote a study on Digital Identity, carrying out a technical analysis and developing a comparative perspective between existing or developing solutions in the national market. It also aims to contribute to the creation of guidelines for the digital identification technologies under development, so they can adapt to the requirements of different official instances, as well as international standards, with application in Digital Identification documents. 

The main expected result of the iDigital project is the production of guidelines for an aggregating national architecture for Digital Identity, towards promoting the dialogue of different stakeholders. 

IDMobile aims to develop a mobile and digital solution for ID documents, based on a decentralised architecture using biometrics, for application in civil, academic and professional identification documents. The work carried out follows the guidelines of the ISO 18013-5 standard, which is currently being approved by the secretariat of the International Standard Organization. The importance of complying with the guidelines contained in the ISO 18013-5 standard is associated with the fact that this standard is being developed in partnership with several representatives of countries worldwide, which allows us to foresee its massive, interoperable adoption, and the subsequent use of mobile digital identification solutions that comply with the aforementioned standard.  

The expected results of the IDMOBILE project are the improvement of security and convenience of identification in the digital world, allowing for a real capacity for selective sharing of data (e.g., proof of majority), with cross-border interoperability, as well as the creation of a portfolio of digital documents for use on mobile devices. 

IDINA (Inclusive Non-Authoritative Digital Identity) was an idea presented by researchers from INESC TEC, which focused on ensuring identification solutions for undocumented citizens in developing countries. The lack of ID documents stems from the absence of central identification systems in developing countries; in fact, the UN estimates that more than a billion citizens are affected by this issue. Through the development of a digital identification structure based on simple hardware (e.g., smartphones, tablets), the main goal is to ensure the identification of undocumented citizens based on their social interactions (e.g., vaccination, school registration). 

The IDINA project foresees the development of identity solutions based on non-authoritative information collected via social interactions of citizens – and consequently, not validated by state entities. Hence, it aims to develop mechanisms that allow credible institutions such as schools, healthcare institutions and local authorities to attest to the citizens’ birth and life events e.g., vaccination and healthcare, food assistance or academic path. This platform could even integrate or assume the role of authoritative registration of legal identity in the states that implement it. 

How do you rate the experience with INESC TEC?

The experience has been very positive and rewarding. There is good communication, both between the parties involved in carrying out the projects, and at the institutional level. At INCM, we perceive innovation in a collaborative way; we believe that, by joining synergies with other teams, we achieve results that allow us to place new projects on the market and apply the knowledge generated in the products and services of this institution, contributing to its sustainability and position in the future. 

Concerning IDINA, the IN3+ Award winning project, how do you perceive your future collaboration with this institution? 

The IN3+ Award is currently the largest award in Portugal for Innovation, having already taken place in three times. In the third edition, the funding mechanisms to support R&D projects reached €1M. The IDINA project will certainly reinforce the continuity of a collaboration that has proven to be fruitful. Concerning the monitoring of this project, we are working on the proposal of new partnerships with other relevant entities dedicated to development initiatives, which will facilitate the implementation of the project, deepening the path already taken together by INCM and INESC TEC. This extra step will also strengthen the internationalisation of the INCM’s activities, since the project’s goal is global, seeking to influence societies in several developing countries. Moreover, the IDINA project is quite important in social terms, ensuring the INCM’s commitment to supporting the societal progress of developing countries. 

What do you value the most in this collaboration? 

The collaboration between INCM and INESC TEC has been rewarding; this relationship between centuries-old organisation and one of the main institutions in the field of Science and Technology, allow us to establish a bridge between the business dimension and academic knowledge. 

The R&D projects are carried out according to the intellectual property sharing regime between the parties, where both institutions operate and collaborate across the entire value line of the innovation process – from the development of R&D activities to the introduction of these results in new products and services, with actual benefits to society. 

What can we expect from INCM over the next years?

Ongoing partnerships with academia within the scope of the Partners Network, such as this one with INESC TEC. At the moment, technological innovation is one of INCM’s strategic pillars and the partnerships with the main national universities and research centres has contributed to the creation and development of R&D projects in its various areas of activity. 

The ICNM aims to assert itself as the main company in Portugal in terms of provision of services and products essential to society, the State(s), companies, and citizens – at both national and international level. This requires innovative systems and processes, that will only be possible through this type of collaboration. 

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