New Bosch Subsidiary Solution Helps in Identifying Fake Products

In 2023 alone, 152 million counterfeit goods with an estimated value of €3.4 billion were seized in the EU, an increase of 77% compared to the previous year. Not only does this represent an economic loss for brand manufacturers, but it also poses a risk for consumers.

If toys, cosmetics, food, or even medicines that appear to be original products are in fact inferior goods, customers can suffer health, safety, or financial consequences. This is where Origify, a software solution from the newly established Bosch Secure Authentication, comes in. Together with Koenig & Bauer Vision & Protection, a leading provider of inspection and security technologies in the printing industry, the new Bosch subsidiary offers greatly improved brand protection and traceability for sensitive print products.

“Thanks to this cooperation, we can make even better use of the opportunities in our target markets,” says Oliver Steinbis, CTO at Bosch Secure Authentication. “According to the consulting firm Smithers, the packaging market is set to grow to over $1.4 trillion by 2028, while the security printing industry is set to grow to more than $35 billion.” This size underlines the market potential for Bosch Secure Authentication and Koenig & Bauer Vision & Protection, which together aim to set new standards in product security with their solution.

The technical basis for unique identification is Bosch’s Origify solution, which records a product’s individual microstructures. To this end, an image is recorded during the production of each object, then converted into a digital identity, and finally stored securely in the cloud. All that’s required for verification is to take another photo using a smartphone app and compare it with the reference data stored in the database. This means a product’s authenticity can be clearly verified at any time with no need for additional security features or imprints.

Companies can use the solution to detect fake goods in-house. At the same time, the solution can be made available to end users. If a company gives the go-ahead, customers can verify the authenticity of its products themselves using a smartphone app. A version of Origify specially developed for the printing industry is now available under the name “Ovjera.” Designed for high volumes and manufacturing speeds, this software can be integrated directly into printing machines without slowing down the production flow. Here too, a forgery-proof digital identity is recorded for each printed product to reliably ensure traceability.