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Standards can put companies on the global innovation stage.

That’s the message from NSAI as they open their vast database to companies all around Ireland to celebrate World Standards Day.  Each year countries around the world pay tribute to the thousands of experts who share their know-how and expertise to develop international standards.
The theme for 2014 is ‘Standards level the playing field’.  It focuses on celebrating the work of those who strive to level the playing field with standards, and their efforts to create a world with better tools for simplifying and enhancing our everyday lives.  

“World Standards Day highlights the importance of standards in today’s competitive environment, where companies are expected to continuously update and improve their products and services. Existing standards can increase the speed of the innovation process and are also becoming a pre-requisite in many industries including construction, engineering and food.  NSAI have a vast database of standards which is open to businesses all around the country. 

Standards are not always evident but they affect every aspect of life, from the toys your children play with to the products supplied to your company.  I’m encouraging all business owners to check what standards can help their business grow and foster innovation in this ever increasing competitive market,” said Maurice Buckley, CEO, NSAI. 

International standards bodies such as IEC, ISO, and ITU provide cohesion to national and regional standards; thereby harmonising global best practices, eliminating technical barriers to trade, and fostering shared socio-economic advance.
These benefits are, in turn all passed on to the consumer in the form of greater choice, increased quality and lower prices.

“Standards can increase the speed of the innovation process. In the 70s, the creation of watches that gave a digital readout was known as state-of-the-art in modern technology. Yet, here we are in 2014 and the newest form of innovation from Apple is an ‘iWatch’ that doesn’t actually look much different than a standard watch.  Innovation is often the re-use of existing technologies using existing standards,” continued Mr Buckley. 

NSAI is hosting the 3rd annual Quality in Ireland conference on 21st October in the Raddison Blu Hotel, Galway.   The conference is dedicated to quality management professionals working in all sectors of Irish society. 

“The Quality in Ireland conference is a chance for quality professionals from around the country to discuss ideas for the future, share experiences and hear from international experts in the area.” said Maurice Buckley. 

NSAI invites members of the business community and the general public to get involved in the development of standards by visiting Your Standards, Your Say  


Every day is a "standards" journey!

ISO video for World Standards Day 2014



ISO World Standards Day Press Release