Tell us about your organisation
CEN and CENELEC, the European Committee for Standardization and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization are two of the three officially recognized European Standards Organisations (as per Commission Regulation 1025/2012).
Our organisations bring together the National Standardisation Bodies & National Committes of 34 European countries. Together with ETSI, we are responsible for developing voluntary safety, quality, environmental protection & harmonization standards, serving the European Industry, the European Single Market and over 450 million European consumers.
The work done by CEN covers a wide range of sectors, including air and space, chemicals, construction, consumer products, energy, the environment, healthcare, machinery, services, smart living, transport and packaging. CENELEC supplements the work done by CEN and addresses electrotechnical work, including AI, Quantum Technologies, electric vehicles & appliances, Internet of Things, e-Invoicing, cybersecurity, batteries, cables, semiconductors, electricity grids & currents.
CEN and CENELEC are supported by a common management centre in Brussels tasked with the coordination of all CEN and CENELEC activities.
What is your organisation’s role in the project? What unique contribution does it bring to the team?
Together with ETSI, CEN and CENELEC will identify key standardization priorities within the technical and geographic scopes, build bridges with key standardization partners in the targetted geographies and connect with relevant events on InDiCo-Global’s technological scope. The unfettered expertise of CEN and CENELEC expertise will support InDiCo-Global’s activities in identifying the most relevant projects and opportunities to improve European digital standardization policy and its influence abroad as well as promoting the EU standardization approach and values outside Europe.
What impact do you hope Indico Global will have in the broader context of digital innovation and standardisation?
InDiCo-Global presents a unique opportunity to synchronize European policy on digital innovation and standardization across the globe, particularly with all three officially recognized European Standards Organisations (ESOs: CEN, CENELEC & ETSI) involved as project partners. Digital technologies such as AI, quantum, Internet of Things and cybersecurity are increasingly gaining influence and are being applied in sectors well beyond their traditional scope, identifying a need for harmonized standards beyond the European Single Market.
What are some of the challenges and opportunities you see in international collaboration for digital innovation and standardisation
InDiCo-Global is set to cover a vast geographical scope, from South America to Southeast Asia, with each region facilitating standardization in different manners & prioritizing different technological sectors. As such, the project consortium will have to cast a wide net to cover the intended scope, however this also provides an excellent opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of technology and standards needs & how EU policy can improve and interact with third countries. Given the strong work already done by the European Commission and the ESOs in this area, InDiCo-Global is well-prepared to tackle the challenges facing digital standardization!
