At a national policy level, Innovation 2020, Enterprise 2025 and IMPACT 2030 emphasise the importance of standards to the RDI community in supporting an innovative Irish ecosystem. Standards facilitate the introduction of innovative products by providing interoperability between the new and existing products, services and processes. Furthermore, standards bridge the skills gap and aid in knowledge transfer. This is recognised at a European level through the emphasis placed on standardisation as a vital part of EU RD&I funding mechanisms.
Standards help build consumers trust and confidence in new technologies, thereby enabling the accelerated mass-market diffusion and adoption of related products and services. In effect, standards help bridge the innovation gap between research and global markets by enabling efficient and effective knowledge and technology transfer, resulting in maximum socio-economic and environmental benefits and impact. The earlier a company or RDI centre engages in the standards development process – integrated within their overall innovation process, the sooner they can bring their standards-informed innovation to competitive global markets, resulting in greater rewards.
During the standards development process, new technical insights are gained as well as time-to-market advantage. Irish companies can add their own unique product or service innovations on top of the foundational standards. Hence, standardization leaders and fast-followers are fully prepared to successfully launch their standards-aligned products and services across international markets to meet the needs of consumers and society.
The New European Standardisation Strategy recognises the need for enhanced engagement in standards development by the RDI community, and to test the relevance of their results for standardisation. Through EU initiatives such as the recently launched "Standardisation Booster’, there are significant opportunities for the Irish RDI community and associated Startups and SMEs, to aid in the co-creation process of standardization, supporting open innovation and cross-industry research development and industry activities.
The Commission has recognised the importance of standards through the publication of a Recommendation on a Code of practice on Standardisation, this code of practice proposes a set of recommendations on how to best identify opportunities and techniques to increase the uptake of R&I results through standardisation. Furthermore it supports and lays the foundations of the guiding principles for knowledge valorisation.
For further information on the standardisation process please watch the HS Booster Presentation below, for training material developed for the HS booster EU project, which facilitates and streamlines the dialogue between Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe Research & Innovation projects with the Standardisation landscape and its main actors, namely corresponding Standards Developing Organisations (SDOs) to increase the European impact on (international) Standardisation and strengthen the European competitiveness.
Contact NSAI Standards Business Development, Research & Innovation
Have your say on draft Standardization Request from the European Commission, relating to postal services
Posted: 14th January 2022
CEN/CENELEC, the European Standardisation body, received a draft Standardization Request from the European Commission, relating to postal services and the improvement of quality of service in support of Directive 97/67/EC.
NSAI are inviting the public to review the attached draft standardisation request and input into this process via...
New standard for verification of environmental parameters of certain solid fuel supplied to the residential market in Ireland being developed
Posted: 13th January 2022
The current version of the NSAI SWiFT 7:2015 document 'Verification of environmental parameters of certain solid fuel supplied to the residential market in Ireland' supports the requirements set out under the Air Pollution Act 1987 (as amended by S.I. 326 of 2012 Air Pollution Act (Marketing, Sale, Distribution, and Burning of Specified Fuel)...
New harmonised standards cited by the European Commission for Medical Device Regulation (EU 2017/745) & In-Vitro Diagnostic Medical Device Regulation
Posted: 13th January 2022
The European Commission has issued (Jan 4th and Jan 6th) two new implementing decisions to add to the list of harmonised standards to support Medical Device Regulation (MDR) and In-Vitro Diagnostics Medical Device Regulation (IVDR)
This is good news and adds to the number of standards that provide a ...
First ever international benchmark for good governance - ISO 37000:2021
Posted: 26th November 2021
We are living in rapidly changing and challenging times and, more than ever, governing bodies are being called upon to ensure their organizations act with purpose, sustainability and society in mind. Good governance not only builds trust, it improves business performance and contributes to social and environmental integrity.
Just published,...
Call for experts participation in standards work on facemasks (Medical facemasks & Respiratory infection protection devices)
Posted: 18th November 2021
NSAI are calling for experts to participate in the revision/development of 2 standards under CEN/TC205 Technical Standardisation committee through the NSAI National Committee .
(1) Revision of EN 14683 “Medical facemasks – Requirements and test methods” & (2) Development of a new standard on “respiratory infection protection devices
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