Progress with Structure

Extracts from this article was originally published by the Irish Independent in March 2026

NSAI is enabling and empowering firms to adopt standards to strengthen operational excellence in innovation; Dell Technologies becomes first organisation in Ireland to be innovation certified under new partnership.

Since the publication of ISO 56001 (Innovation Management Systems), innovation management can now be audited and certified in the same way as other internationally recognised management systems such as ISO 9001 (Quality) and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management).

Geraldine Larkin, our CEO, expects adoption of ISO 56001 to grow rapidly, due to increasing pressures from artificial intelligence, digital transformation and sustainability demands.

“It’s really important that NSAI gives firms in Ireland access to world-class frameworks so they can embed this system into their day-to-day operations and ultimately accelerate the commercialisation of the outcomes,” she says.

“Because it is a structured framework, ISO 56001 requires companies to work through not alone the development of a new product or service, but also how value is created within the business as part of that process.”

NSAI recently formed a partnership with APCER, an internationally recognised certification body based in Portugal, which is part of the international certification network IQNET, of which NSAI is also a member. The partnership creates an immediate and practical certification pathway for Irish SMEs seeking ISO 56001 certification for innovation management systems.

The first organisation to be certified under this partnership - Dell Technologies - is one of country’s largest multinational employers, with nearly 4,500 people based across campuses in Cork, Limerick and Dublin.

Ireland is a strategic location for Dell Technologies globally and its Cork Manufacturing operation was chosen as the first organisation within Dell Technologies worldwide to achieve certification to ISO 56001.

“The importance of this is that we now have a means of enabling firms in Ireland to get access to this certification by merging NSAI’s national expertise and application process with a seamless technical audit provided by APCER,” says Larkin.

“The ultimate objective is to give firms the ability to signal and demonstrate their innovation maturity to investors, customers, partners and beyond.”

The ultimate objective is to give firms the ability to signal and demonstrate their innovation maturity to investors, customers, partners and beyond.

Geraldine Larkin NSAI CEO

A layered approach

NSAI is striving to demystify standards and empower organisations to build capacity at their own pace by taking on different layers of certification, typically starting with ISO 9001 and moving towards ISO 56001.

“An organisation’s ability to innovate is crucial, which is recognised by government in its research and innovation strategy, Impact 2030, and in the 2025 Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity. To support SMEs on this journey,we have developed self-help tools and readiness check-lists, making them available to small businesses so they can assess their progress and readiness for third-party certification,” notes Larkin.

Innovation management for professionals

If an organisation is not pursuing ISO 56001, individuals still have the option of applying for certification for the innovation projects they’re working on. This is because, in 2024, NSAI became one of the first national standards bodies to establish a certification route for innovation management for professionals.

Delivered through a partnership with RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden), this rigorous programme includes demonstration of experience, a written assessment and a case-based oral examination aligned to the ISO 56000 series.

“This is Ireland’s first globally-recognised pathway for innovation practitioners to get validation for the great work they’re doing. The programme has deepened Ireland’s innovation maturity and confirmed the market’s readiness for ISO 56001 certification,” says Larkin.

If you’d like to get more information from NSAI about certification to ISO 56001, please email certification@nsai.ie

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