NSAI Celebrates World Standards Day with Focus on Collaboration and Partnership
“Standards underpin consumer trust, open international markets for Irish businesses, and support innovation across all sectors of Irish society. "
Peter Burke TD Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Trade
The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) is joining the global standards community to celebrate World Standards Day 2025, tomorrow, October 14th. Each year, World Standards Day provides an opportunity to reflect on the importance of standards in daily life and in global trade. This year’s theme, “collaboration and partnership,” highlights how standards are built through cooperation, bringing together voices from industry, government, academia and civil society to deliver solutions that serve everyone.
At the heart of the global standardisation system is the principle of working together. Through the dedication of NSAI standards teams and voluntary technical committee members, consensus is achieved to ensure standards are inclusive, equitable and effective. Developed through collaboration and consensus-driven approaches, standards embed resilience into products and services, making them safer, more trustworthy, more sustainable and more adaptable.
Commenting ahead of World Standards Day, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism, and Employment Peter Burke TD, said: “Standards underpin consumer trust, open international markets for Irish businesses, and support innovation across all sectors of Irish society. I want to acknowledge the valuable work of NSAI and its committees in ensuring that Ireland and Irish business continue to benefit from a strong standards infrastructure. With over 30,000 standards now available through NSAI and record levels of engagement in 2024, we see the clear impact standards have on competitiveness, sustainability, and economic growth.”
On World Standards Day, NSAI acknowledges the time, focus and expertise of committee members and Chairs, whose commitment delivers long-lasting benefits to society. In 2024 alone, NSAI convened 427 standards committee meetings and welcomed 200 new members, bringing the total number of voluntary national committee members to over 2,400.
“Standards are more than technical documents - they are bridges built through collaboration, ensuring that innovation and safety move forward together,” said Geraldine Larkin, CEO, NSAI. “On World Standards Day, we reaffirm our commitment to inclusive processes, to listening to diverse voices, and to delivering standards that strengthen Ireland’s place on the world stage.”
Standards also play a vital role in helping businesses of all sizes, particularly SMEs. For SMEs, standards can provide clarity, reduce barriers, and help build trust with customers at home and abroad. They act as a framework for efficiency and quality, while also opening opportunities in international markets where compliance with recognised standards is often a prerequisite. NSAI is committed to supporting Irish SMEs on this journey and is proud to sponsor the Innovation category in the Small Firms Association (SFA) National Small Business Awards. This collaboration reflects NSAI’s belief that standards are a pathway to growth, credibility and global competitiveness for small firms.
“In today’s competitive economy, SMEs need every edge possible, and aligning with recognised standards grants credibility, trust and access to markets,” said David Broderick, Director, Small Firms Association. “By working with NSAI, businesses can embrace standards not only as a requirement in some instances but as an opportunity for innovation and excellence.”
Behind every standard is the expertise of Ireland’s technical committees. These groups are made up of volunteers from across industry, academia, government and civil society who bring deep knowledge and a commitment to public service. Their work ensures that standards reflect the needs of society, keep pace with technology, and embed sustainability and resilience into products and services. On this World Standards Day, NSAI pays tribute to all committee members and Chairs for their invaluable contribution. Their generosity of time and expertise ensures that standards continue to deliver real benefits - making life safer, products more reliable, and the future more sustainable.
Further information around getting involved in developing standards is available at www.NSAI.ie/standards.
[Disclaimer: All reasonable effort was made to ensure that the information on this page was correct at the time of publication. Any views or opinions expressed on this page are not necessarily those of NSAI. NSAI accepts no responsibility or liability howsoever arising from the contents of this publication or any errors, inaccuracies, or omissions in the contents of the information provided therein.]
