The spotted black and brown salamander is a well-loved pet and an endangered species. The Imprimerie Nationale (IN) is not (no longer) an endangered species. What is the link between the two? As a tribute to François 1er, the amphibian has become the Imprimerie Nationale's trademark. François 1er, the IN's founder, had chosen this legendary reptile, renown for its affinity with fire, as his royal emblem.

The IN came close to extinction several times. In 2002, its contract with France Telecom for the production of the French phone directory was not renewed. The Imprimerie Nationale consequently lost 40% of its annual turnover. Two redundancy plans and 65 million euros (government money) later, the IN can start afresh. Since its high-tech revolution, « the Imprimerie Nationale has become more than a printing office, it is a solution and technology integrator», affirms Didier Trutt, the man who replaced Loïc Lenoir de la Cochettière, the CEO who, amidst social tensions, had been illegally confined a whole afternoon by his employees at Flers en Escrebieux.

Municipal police officer cards.
The company has evolved from paper to immaterial. The biometric passport, its flagship product (10 000 to 20 000 per day), incorporates a panoply of security technologies: holograms, sparkle effects, dichroic inks, micro-letters… « 100% of these technologies are French », adds Didier Trutt. The Banque de France cannot do any better with regard to bank notes. Today 100% of passports are produced in record time: under three days.

In the fiduciary sector, the fight against falsification and forgery is not limited to passports. Intelligent technologies are incorporated into agent cards and municipal police officer cards. The IN will start producing municipal police officer cards this coming June. The former Imperial Printing office has become a precursor of dematerialisation, e-government administration, but also a secure host for the safeguarding and exchange of electronic documents. The IN has mastered the art of document management (mail, archiving, enterprise output management…). « We are selling more and more processing solutions, says Didier Trutt. Very few printing offices in France can offer such a large range of crafts».

The IN can rely on strong subsidiaries, such as ChronoServices, 100% IN-owned and located on the same site. In 2005, the Department of Transport entrusted Chronoservices (public service delegation agreement) with the production and management of an electronic device which records on a smart card and which is fitted to lorries. It represents a huge technical leap. The old chronotachograph is long gone!