The National Standards Authority of Ireland publishes Annual Report 2021
The National Standards Authority has today published its Annual Report 2021.
The report highlights the wide scope of NSAI activities and achievements across the areas of standardisation, certification and metrology and demonstrates the valuable role NSAI plays both to businesses and the wider public.
Operationally, the emphasis in 2021 was directed at supporting businesses to meet their certification and standardization requirements in preparation for a ‘re-start’ and build post Covid-19 and Brexit. A significant achievement was the establishment of NSAI Certification UK Ltd. to provide Irish businesses with access to UKCA product certification, initially for Construction and Medical Device products.
During 2021 the NSAI also worked on the development of the NSAI Strategic Plan 2022-2026 focused on innovating to shape a safer, better, and sustainable future. The Strategic Plan launched earlier this year is closely aligned with Government initiatives and emerging opportunities and has the clarity and agility to support the evolution and growth of our services.
Speaking on the publication NSAI CEO, Geraldine Larkin said:
“The impact of Covid-19 on our organisation continued during 2021, but we maintained our focus on our strategic objectives and this, combined with our operational execution in meeting stakeholder requirements ensured strong results were delivered in 2021. 1,366 standards were published in 2021, these standards give Irish organisations and businesses the tools to adopt best practice and support Irish organisations in areas such as managing innovation, protecting the environment, and mitigating risk. With the launch of the Authority’s Strategic Plan 2022-2026 we will continue to will continue to support businesses in navigating the challenges of an ever-changing work environment. We will continue to leverage the expertise of our people and make knowledge accessible in support of key business sectors and the national response to global imperatives, such as climate change, the digital economy and Industry 4.0.”
Key highlights from the 2021 Annual Report included:
· 1,336 standards were published in 2021, there are now 24,000 standards available in the NSAI’s catalogue
· Over 200,000 Irish people accessed standards online during 2021
· 271 new users registered to the Authority’s ‘Your Standards Your Say’ commenting portal
· The groundwork was laid for development of NSAI’s Strategic Plan 2022-2026
· The NSAI established NSAI Certification UK Ltd. providing Irish businesses with access to UKCA product certification, for Construction and Medical Device products
· 4,762 instruments were calibrated by NSAIs National Metrology Laboratory for enterprises across Ireland
· 5,428 traders were visited by NSAI’s Legal Metrology team and 15,754 measuring instruments were inspected
· Six campaign inspections were carried out by NSAI’s Legal Metrology Team in the following industry sectors, fishing, taxis, meat plants and weighbridges and liquid fuel dispensers
· 3,940 management system certifications were awarded, of which 82% were to SME’s
Looking forward, the NSAI will focus efforts on delivering the objectives set out in NSAI’s Strategic Plan 2022 – 2026. We will do this by adhering to our core values, working in partnership with our stakeholders and acting consistently with our purpose. Standards are vital to ensuring organisations can negotiate tough market conditions by putting established frameworks and best practices in place. Over the coming years we aim to complement and support the Government’s goal of making Ireland the best place to succeed in business across Europe.
To view or download the report visit here. For further information, visit NSAI.ie or follow us on Twitter @NSAI_Standards
