For the fourth time, Securikett invited professionals, industry representatives, and technology experts to its congress in Baden near Vienna. The event, held in the historic Casino Baden, attracted visitors and speakers from both Austria and abroad.
About Unique Identifiers – UIDs
“This was a melting pot of experts,” said Securikett CEO Werner Horn, delighted about the intensive exchange on the future of Unique Identifiers (UIDs) — codes that give products their own identity.
When every product receives its own code — like birth certificate — it is not only made traceable through its manufacturing and supply chain lifecycle, but also host its Digital Product Passport (DPP) and its digital twin.
How secure is the DPP?
The Digital Product Passport has been mandated by the EU for many industries and will be rolled out in the coming years. Numerous experts are working in standardization committees on implementation details.
The event asked the key question: How can brands and consumers protect themselves from digital counterfeits in the age of artificial intelligence (AI)? Entire cloud-based solutions can now, with AI support, be relatively easily copied by counterfeiters, leading users to a fraudulent platform that appears genuine but is not. In the worst case, this can expose them to further fraud. Users may believe they are on the brand owner’s site and share data carelessly. QR codes can also be replicated, among other threats. Speakers and attendees agreed that greater security is needed — starting already in the DPP’s implementation phase.
Effective solutions already exist today to detect the cloning or reprinting of QR codes. Enriching the printed UID with physical security features will remain essential —much like banknotes, which rely on such features.
Nevertheless, secure access to cloud platforms —for both brand owners, who often collaborate with subcontractors and suppliers, and also for consumers who rely on this – forms the foundation for the DPP requirements.
In his presentation on Securiketts new digital platform, Codikett 2.0, Stefan Führer highlighted not only the advantages of the native cloud solution but also that each customer — whether it is spare parts, textiles, luxury goods, or FMCG sectors — now has their own unique environment, ensuring 100% data protection. At the core of each environment is the “cellular architecture”, which reliably separates the data of participating companies within a brand’s eco-system, such as subcontractors and distributors as well as their own internal teams.
Interoperable networking as the key to success
To meet the requirements of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) and comply with existing ISO standards, cross-platform interoperability is neccessary.
Dr. Marietta Ulrich-Horn, who has long been active in international standardization, served as project leader for the first ISO standard on interoperability of UID-based anti-counterfeiting systems.
She commented: “I am proud that the standard I worked on with my team was later recommended by the EU as a guideline for formulating the European DPP standards., ISO committee members knew that it wouldn’t be competition, but interoperability, that would drive digitalization of products forward.”
From a security perspective, caution was advised against new providers that were introducing themselves to the market with no proven track record which often lack adequate security architecture.
By contrast, AURA Blockchain Consortium, founded by leading representatives of the luxury goods industry, aims to store Digital Product Passports within its own blockchain. This is an intriguing approach, particularly considering the growing trend toward the collectability of vintage goods and the need for ownership transfer records. Securikett and AURA impressed with their demonstration of interoperability in a practical case study.
Joint strategies for consumer engagement
“Counterfeiters never sleep — they are well connected and work around the clock.”. Throughout the congress, various additional security systems were presented as inspiration for new strategies.
A lively discussion arose around the question of why consumers should scan QR codes at all. In his presentation, Güneri Tuğcu emphasized that sustainability alone is not enough of an incentive:
“Only when consumers receive tangible added value will they scan regularly.” He presented several practical approaches to building trust and strengthening brand experiences.
This view was shared by Dr. Felix Badura of Digicycle. Incentives are essential. Unique Identifiers will become indispensable for long-lived products to meet EU recycling targets. Even for Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), UIDs are increasingly used to prevent deposit fraud and similar issues.
Innovation, education, and consumer engagement were identified as key tools to achieve recycling goals — just as they are crucial in the fight against product piracy.
Data analysis, data protection, and AI
Digital product traceability systems primarily aim to uncover counterfeiting and gray market activities. What’s new is that the EU regulation also seeks to improve recycling and repair behavior. Yet it’s well known that communication with end consumers also generates valuable behavioral data for manufacturers. When privacy is fully respected, such data can be statistically analyzed.
The use of artificial intelligence represents a new frontier here. In an entertaining and impressive presentation, Jürgen Bogner demonstrated how his AI assistants identified valuable trends in counterfeiting and gray market activity from real data instantly as he spoke.
Retrospective and outlook
The conclusion from the organizers at Securikett, headquartered in Münchendorf , Austria (just outside of Vienna) was a resounding success, marked by lively discussions, new ideas, and valuable connections. With renowned speakers from Europe and the U.S. and distinguished attendees, the event truly became a “Melting Pot of Experts.” Planning for the 5th Forum Unique Codes is already underway.
