History
"There is no future in any job. The future lies in the man who holds the job" - George Crane.
Since its foundation in the Eighties, Publicenter has grown constantly in Italy's card market, investing in the latest technologies and expanding the production areas of its two facilities.
The continuous investments in upgrading processes and improving quality standards enable the firm to offer an ever-expanding range of products, to meet the requirements of all sectors, since like all over the world, in Italy cards are conquering larger and larger areas of application.
Publicenter, boosted by its past successes, is entering fast-growing new markets and increasing its market share in Europe.
1978
Year of foundation: starts the activity of printing on special materials.
1984
Agreements with several companies (among them Società Autostrade) handling the payment system of the highway toll by means of prepaid magnetic stripe cards (Viacard).
1986
Publicenter produce the first laminated plastic card.
1988
First contract with Telecom Italia Spa for the supply of prepaid magnetic stripe cards.
1994
MF Group Spa acquires Publicenter Srl.
1995
Publicenter doubles the production sites by means of the acquisition of Technicard System Spa, competitor company, which will be later incorporated in Publicenter.
1996
First step of the investment plan to increase production capacity (increased to 200 mil. cards per year) and commercial expansion abroad.
1997
First contract for TIM Spa, the Italian communication player.
1998
Publicenter achieves the ISO9000 certification.
First contract with Omnitel Pronto Italia (which will be acquired by Vodafone in 2002) for the supply of prepaid cards.
Telecom Italia Spa, acknowledging the reliability of its production, assigns entirely to Publicenter the production of over 170 ml. prepaid cards.
1999
First contract with the Telecom operator Wind Spa for the supply of prepaid cards.
2000
Telecom Italia Spa assigns entirely to Publicenter the whole production of 100 mil. prepaid cards for the fix line.
Publicenter start the production of the Ikea git and loyalty cards, among the first green product in the market.
2001
Introduction of the smart cards (contact and contactless) in the production range.
2002
First supply of 100.000 chip cards in the Asian market.
Second step of the Investment plan to bring the production capacity to 500 mil. cards per year.
2003
New factory and offices in Rioveggio (Bologna).
2004
First SimCard fulfilment for Vodafone.
2005
Publicenter obtains the certification for the production in Italy of credit cards for VISA and MASTERCARD brands.
2007
Publicenter entirely develop and produce the first EMV card in Italy.
Publicenter entirely develop and produce the first Banking Gift Card in Italy.
2008
Publicenter produces and personalizes for the Lombardy region the first Italian national health dual interface card in partnership with Siemens dual interface technology.
Pulicenter start the production of ID card, driving license, and other government cards.
2012
Publicenter introduces CARD EXPERIENCE the new line of cards created from the will to engage the card holder in an emotional experience, activated by the evocative power of perfumes and colors.
2014
Publicenter increases the range of GREEN materials. The new product the DEGRADABLE PVC card keeps the same physical-mechanical features and performances of PVC, while being completely biodegradable.
2015
Publicenter introduces Long Life PVC an innovative material that far surpasses standard PVC in the most needed qualities of an ID card: durability and resistance.
2018
Publicenter has been rewarded by obtaining the Integrated Quality Management System ISO certification, a unique management of quality, environment, and safety at work, in compliance with the standards: UNI EN ISO 9001: 2015UNI EN ISO 14001: 2015UNI EN ISO 45001: 2018
Publicenter introduce the Metal Heavy Cards, made with metal.
2019
Publicenter is taking another step forward in its commitment towards an increased environmental sustainability with the launch of the new eco-friendly payment card made with Recycled PET-G obtained from the recovery and recycling of post-industrial material.
2020
Publicenter start a cooperation with Zwipe for the production of biometric cards.
Publicenter introduces the new Luxury Effects range. The new effects, mainly inspired by natural materials such as mother-of-pearl, wood and glass according to the latest trends in fashion and design. They are unique and unrepeatable thanks to the production process that randomly generates the patterns and three-dimensional effects.
2021
In response to the growing need for greater hygiene and safety even in the card world, Publicenter has created the antimicrobial card. The first of its kind in Italy, the card is made with a new formulation containing agents that help counteract the growth of microorganisms on its surface.
Publicenter, in addition to the practice of plastic recycling within company areas and in the production cycle, offers materials from recycling. After the strong endorsements obtained with recycled PET-G, Publicenter now offers a new card made entirely from recycled PVC (R-PVC).
2022
Publicenter, which has always been attentive to green issues, has completed a significant energy efficiency upgrade. The actions, which involved various aspects, are aimed at reducing the amount of energy requirements, optimizing energy performance and improving indoor comfort.