Source: Giesecke & Devrient
Bundesdruckerei GmbH, the general contractor for the German identity card project, has appointed Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) to supply inlays for the new electronic ID card (nPA). Munich-based G&D will therefore be responsible for supplying the electronic components for the new identity document - including the microchip, smart card operating system and antenna.
The new credit-card-sized ID card has a contactless interface, enabling German citizens e.g. to authenticate themselves and use a digital signature securely online. The key component for this is the inlay, which is the electronic heart of the identification document.
To meet the requirements of Bundesdruckerei, G&D will deliver a long-lasting and highly secure inlay which complies with the technological specifications of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). G&D will be responsible for the complete production chain from chip supply and inlay manufacture to delivery of the specification-compliant component to the printing company. Production and personalization of the identification documents will be carried out by Bundesdruckerei, which in addition to production of the new ID card also equipped all the approx. 5,500 identification card and passport offices with the necessary hardware and software. Since 2004, G&D and Bundesdruckerei have played a decisive role in defining standards for the European Citizen Card (ISO CEN TC224) and implementation of the new electronic ID card. The nPA is the first identification document to fully meet the requirements for a European Citizen Card.