As the demand for a product rises, so does the appeal for developing its counterfeit. In the eyes of a criminal looking to make a quick buck, the COVID-19 pandemic has provided a breeding ground for counterfeit potential. With a vaccine being the most desired product in the world right now, and most countries struggling to meet demand with their government-led programmes, reports of listings on the dark web and seized counterfeits are becoming increasingly prevalent.
Even in a world transformed by digitalisation, security against counterfeiting remains something that we need to ensure physically. Sophisticated holograms, radio frequency identification tags (RFID), and watermarks have helped, but they aren’t practical for all the valuables, big and small, that need protection. In too many cases, experts must look long and hard at details to authenticate an item or a product — and those without the expertise to spot the smallest discrepancies are vulnerable targets. For companies whose business is built on their brand’s reputation, billions are on the line. Small and medium-sized companies might even have their very existence at stake. But thanks to research right here in Luxembourg, that might be about to change.
NIR WatchDog and NoFakes, two spin-off projects run by SnT researchers, won 2020 FNR JUMP Proof-of-concept (PoC) grants to develop their cutting-edge technologies into anti-counterfeiting services that could change the way we authenticate not only luxury goods, but also the consumer goods we depend on every day.
Continue reading the article from our Annual Report 2020 here.