Founded more than 120 years ago, Gemalto Oy combines traditional security printing and modern digital security technology. This combination results in smart card products with the world’s highest level of security, produced in Vantaa.

 

Gemalto Oy was established as a security printing house of the Bank of Finland in 1885. For around 100 years, the company concentrated on the production of traditional security printing products, until the first payment cards were manufactured, in the 1980s. From then on, the technology used in products manufactured by Gemalto Oy has become increasingly advanced, and more and more products are equipped with a microchip.

 

In 1991, all operations of the security printing house of the Bank of Finland were incorporated into Setec Oy. In the 1990s, the company developed into a group operating on an international scale, and in the 2000s, via corporate acquisition, it became part of the global Gemalto group.

 

Timeline of the company’s history

 

1885: The security printing house of the Bank of Finland was established: bank notes, stamps and other security printing products

 

1983: Payment cards

 

1988: Smart card technology, laserengraved polycarbonate card

 

1991: Setec Oy

 

1994: SIM card

 

1996: PKI smart card

 

1998: World's first national eID card

 

1999: World's first PKI SIM card

 

2000: World's first EMV PKI multiapplication card

 

2003: World's first biometric passport

 

2005: Gemplus S.A. acquired Setec

 

2006: Gemplus and Axalto were mergered and Gemalto, the world's leading company in digital security, was born

 

2008: Gemalto Oy