IN Groupe - Experts & Thought Leaders

IN Groupe has entered into a final agreement with Nets, part of Nexi Group, for the takeover of Nets' eID business. In November 2023, Nets and IN Groupe concluded the first part of the agreement for the acquisition, and the two parties reached an agreement on the final terms. MitID operations transferred Nets will formally transfer the responsibility for the development and operation of MitID to IN Groupe which is in charge of further development and operation of the Danish digital identity service MitID and other related eID services. "At IN Groupe, we are proud to be the new operator of MitID, which is an extremely advanced and specialised eID technology," says Agnès Diallo, CEO of IN Groupe Preserving identities "As Europe's identity specialists, it is in our DNA to collaborate with authorities and help them protect citizens' identities and preserve business integrity." "Therefore, the collaboration with the MitID partnership fits perfectly with our expertise and experience in delivering digital identity solutions, biometrics, cyber security, and digital verification services across Europe." International expansion "Together with the recent news of IN Groupe entering into exclusive negotiations for the acquisition of Idemia Smart Identity, today’s announcement shows that the transformation of our Group is accelerating." "Our international expansion and the widening of our capabilities along the identity value chain will help us better serve new and existing customers. We look forward to using our own experience and expertise to further develop and improve MitID for the benefit of both Danish citizens and businesses in the future." Secure digital solutions "We could not think of a more competent owner for our eID business, and we are pleased to have finally reached closing," comments Torsten Hagen Jørgensen, Global Head of Issuing Solutions in Nexi Group. "IN Groupe has years of experience delivering complex and secure digital solutions to states, citizens, and businesses in Europe, which means they are optimally positioned to meet the requirements and responsibilities necessary to operate and develop the solutions that are crucial to Denmark." MitID The continued operation and development of MitID are central to the rationale behind IN Groupe’s acquisition "We are confident that IN Groupe will bring renewed value to MitID and be a strong and trustworthy partner to the MitID Partnership, the Danes, and Danish businesses. The continued operation and development of MitID are central to the rationale behind IN Groupe’s acquisition. eID solution provider MitID will remain formally owned by the MitID partnership, which consists of the Danish Agency for Digital Government (Digitaliseringsstyrelsen) on behalf of the Danish state and Finance Denmark (Finans Danmark) on behalf of the Danish banks. The completion of the acquisition has been subject to customary closing conditions and the authorisation of the Danish government on the suitability and capabilities of IN Groupe as their continued eID solution provider. New offices IN Groupe will open two new Danish offices – the new headquarters for IN Groupe Denmark During the entire process, Nets has been responsible for the stable and secure functioning of the services. IN Groupe will be responsible for the continued operation and development of MitID and related eID services. In connection with this, IN Groupe will open two new Danish offices – the new headquarters for IN Groupe Denmark in Copenhagen and a branch in Aarhus. Additionally, a new office will be opened in Oslo, Norway. Trust and broker services IN Groupe will have 350 skilled employees from Nets on board. These employees will continue to work with eID solutions, ensuring continuity and the necessary expertise to operate MitID. In addition to the operation and development of MitID, IN Groupe will also handle the trust and broker services previously owned by Nets.

IN Groupe and IDEMIA Group have entered into exclusive negotiations regarding the acquisition of IDEMIA Smart Identity, one of the three divisions of IDEMIA Group. With this projected acquisition, IN Groupe will further enhance its size, geographic reach, cutting-edge technologies and differentiated know-how to reinforce its position in the physical and digital identity markets globally. Secure identity solutions "We are looking forward to joining forces with IDEMIA Smart Identity to create a new global pioneering player for advanced and secure identity solutions. This is a unique and transformative milestone for IN Groupe. It is fully aligned with our strategy to consolidate our position in physical and digital identity at a global scale to better serve our clients." "IDEMIA Smart Identity’s teams, technologies and solutions, perfectly complement our own capabilities and I firmly believe that coming together would strongly benefit our customers," Agnès Diallo, CEO of IN Groupe. Values for privacy and security Diallo added: "It would also positively impact the market as a whole, with the emergence of a new player with unrivalled ability to operate at scale internationally, upholding European values for privacy and security in a sector that is critical for the future of society at large." "We would be thrilled to welcome to IN Groupe IDEMIA Smart Identity’s talented teams and to embark together on the exciting journey ahead."  Strong complementarities New group would benefit from critical mass and a unique geographic footprint in the identity industry With total sales of over €1 billion, the new group would benefit from critical mass and a unique geographic footprint in the identity industry.  Already well-established internationally (60% of its sales in 2023), IN Groupe would strengthen its presence in Europe, Middle East and Africa, Latin America and Asia thanks to IDEMIA Smart Identity’s solid and complementary positions. Internal security and cyber security The projected transaction would also give IN Groupe enhanced and integrated access to critical segments of the physical and digital identity value chain, including chip design and advanced software which are key components in delivering secure identity documents. At a time when governments and private sector organisations are facing growing challenges in terms of internal security and cyber security, IN Groupe and IDEMIA Smart Identity would form a pioneering and trusted partner promoting solutions based on the European security and data protection model. Unique opportunity for IN Groupe  The projected asset of IDEMIA Smart Identity is even with the growth strategy sought by IN Groupe The projected acquisition of IDEMIA Smart Identity is consistent with the growth strategy pursued by IN Groupe over the past ten years, with several successful acquisitions already completed. This transaction would now represent a huge stride for IN Groupe in support of a significant shift of its development strategy, addressing three main challenges in the identity market: (i) an increased demand from all clients, governments and private sector, for secure identity solutions, protecting users’ privacy and governments sovereignty; (ii) an ever-growing trend towards digitalisation of identity solutions allowing access to modern services; (iii) the rise of European standards that bolster the digital ecosystem for identity. IDEMIA Smart Identity "IDEMIA Group continues its solid development trajectory while implementing its ambitious strategy. We are reaching a decisive milestone with this project to sell IDEMIA Smart Identity, one of the pioneering providers of secure identity solutions, to create a market pioneering player." "With €2.5 billion in revenue, 12,500 employees, and 4,000 customers with its Secure Transactions and Public Security divisions, IDEMIA Group would embark on a new chapter in its history and remain focused on delivering mission critical solutions powered by biometrics and cryptography addressing specific market segments, and accelerating its future growth," Pierre Barrial, CEO of IDEMIA Group. Physical and digital identity solutions "We are delighted at the prospect of joining IN Groupe, a company whose experience and industry expertise are globally recognised." "The acquisition of IDEMIA Smart Identity by IN Groupe would expedite the growth trajectory we are on. I am proud that IDEMIA Smart Identity, a long-standing pioneer in physical and digital identity solutions, could bring these capabilities to IN Groupe," Antoine Grenier, CEO of IDEMIA Smart Identity.  Unlock new opportunities IN Groupe’s sole shareholder funds this vital projected acquisition which would enable the company Grenier added: "Together we would accelerate our development and unlock new opportunities to expand our national and international footprint, as well as enhance our expertise and better serve our clients."  IN Groupe’s sole shareholder, the French state, supports this important projected acquisition which would enable the company to develop its activities and expand its geographical footprint. Closing conditions and expected transaction timing In accordance with the applicable regulations, this transaction is subject to prior consultation with employee representative bodies. The transaction is also subject to customary closing conditions and approvals from regulatory authorities. It is expected to close in 2025. Goldman Sachs and Rothschild & Co acted as financial advisors and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP acted as legal advisor to IDEMIA Group. Lazard Frères acted as financial advisor and Bredin Prat acted as legal advisor to IN Groupe.

The UK is set to unveil a new skills initiative at the Global Cyber Skills Summit 2024, as the UK, US, and EU convene as part of a “renewed focus” to tackle cyber threats. Cyber Security Minister Feryal Clark confirmed that the UK will launch a regional skills programme to fund initiatives such as apprenticeships to build local pipelines of cyber experts across England and Northern Ireland, as well as funding companies developing new forms of cyber security. Cyber skills training Alongside this, Innovate UK is pioneering a scheme where £1.3 million is being made available for universities, local councils, and businesses to provide cyber skills training. Cyber Security Minister Feryal Clark said, “The UK needs a significant improvement in its cyber defences after the previous government failed to strengthen our cyber laws – we’re fixing that. Later this year, we’ll bring forward new measures to better protect the nation from cyber-crime and our new regional skills programme will support the next generation of cyber talent and innovators.” Cyber skills road map In recent months there have been major attacks against NHS Hospitals, the Ministry of Defence, and Transport for London The summit takes place at Wilton Park in West Sussex, with the goal of road mapping the future development of cyber skills during a period of heightened threat. In recent months there have been major attacks against NHS Hospitals, the Ministry of Defence, and Transport for London, causing IT outages and downtime across Critical National Infrastructure. Improving cyber resilience Andy Ward, SVP International for Absolute Security, commented, “A wave of high-profile cyber attacks this year has highlighted the need to constantly improve the UK’s cyber resilience, so this week’s coalition to tackle threats and boost cyber skills is a welcome sight." "Particularly when it comes to state-sponsored threats, public services, and critical national infrastructure are at the top of the hit list, containing vast amounts of sensitive data that can have a catastrophic impact if IT systems are breached.” Threat identification and report “An organisation is only as strong as its weakest link whether that’s an endpoint device like a laptop or a member of staff that hasn’t been given the requisite cyber skills training." "For all of the tech-powered cyber defences, every member of staff within an organisation must be equipped with cyber skills, understanding how to identify and report threats, as well as recover when an attack occurs, not just if. This alone can save precious time in the event of an outage, reducing downtime and keeping the UK’s critical national infrastructure online.” Re-evaluating cyber defence strategies While the shortfall across the cyber workforce has been reduced, 44 percent of UK businesses lack the skills Recent findings from the government’s Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market Survey highlighted that while the shortfall across the cyber workforce has been reduced, 44 percent of UK businesses lack the skills to protect themselves from cyber threats. David Manfield, Associate Director for Cyber Security at Investigo, commented, “Cyber threats are only increasing in volume and sophistication so organisations must re-evaluate their cyber defence strategies, from technology to people, to ensure they can stay online in the face of an attack." Reskilling and upskilling programmes "This week’s global coalition is an excellent opportunity to roadmap the UK’s plan to solve the cyber skills crisis, hopefully providing funding and initiatives to encourage new talent into the cybersecurity sector,” said David. “Hiring cyber staff is the top talent pain point for the boardrooms across the UK, so the government, industry, and recruiters must work closely to create pathways to encourage talent into cybersecurity. Whether it’s launching reskilling and upskilling programmes or taking a new approach to interim versus consultancy staff within organisations, bringing new people into the sector and building a diverse pipeline of cyber talent is essential to improving cyber readiness.”